Russell avoids Hungarian GP grid penalty despite engine change

George Russell will line up for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix from seventh on the grid despite Mercedes being forced to fit a fresh engine to his car following an issue at the end of qualifying at the Hungaroring.

The change comes after Russell suffered a water leak during his final Q3 run, ending any realistic chance of improving his grid position. While the problem requires Mercedes to replace the power unit, the Briton will not receive a penalty because the team has fitted a component within his permitted allocation.

Russell’s qualifying session had already been a frustrating one, with both Mercedes drivers struggling to extract performance from their cars as tyre temperatures proved difficult to manage around Budapest’s technical layout.

His final lap initially appeared promising, but a heavy hit over the Turn 4 kerbs triggered the problem that ultimately ended his challenge.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described the damage bluntly, saying Russell’s engine was “done”, forcing the team into action ahead of the race.

Mercedes confirms power unit swap

Mercedes later explained the circumstances behind the decision in an official statement:

"During George’s final lap in Q3, we detected a loss of water pressure on his car and instructed him to stop as a precaution once he had completed the lap.

"Following further inspection, we have elected to change his power unit ahead of tomorrow’s race, moving to his fourth unit of the season and thus within his season allocation."

The new power unit represents Russell’s fourth internal combustion engine of the season, matching team-mate Kimi Antonelli’s tally. Both drivers are now at the limit of their allowed allocation, meaning any further engine changes later in the campaign are likely to carry grid penalties.

For Hungary, however, Russell escapes punishment because Mercedes is replacing the damaged unit with an identical specification rather than introducing an extra power unit outside the permitted allowance.

Russell believes more was possible

Russell admitted the failure came at the worst possible moment, with the Mercedes driver believing he had the pace to challenge for a stronger qualifying result before the leak affected his tyres.

"We had a water leak, hit a bump in Turn 4," Russell explained. "The lap was feeling good until then and then suddenly the lap wasn't. I didn't think much of it, and the team told me the water was spraying over my tyres.

"As soon as we saw it in the data, the water leak, suddenly my tyre temperatures got really cold on the rear. So, I don't think much more, top three definitely not possible, but maybe a few positions higher would have been there."

Russell’s seventh-place start comes after Mercedes lost its perfect qualifying record this season, with reigning world champion Lando Norris claiming pole position ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

Team-mate Antonelli could yet move higher up the grid after qualifying fourth, with Hamilton’s own three-place penalty already promoting him to third. However, Antonelli remains under investigation for allegedly passing the stationary Red Bull of Max Verstappen under yellow flags during his final qualifying lap.

For Russell, the focus now shifts from qualifying disappointment to damage limitation — with a fresh engine installed and a chance to fight back on Sunday.

Read also: Hamilton stripped of front row start in Hungary for impeding Piastri

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