Belgian setback for Russell: ‘100% on us’, says Toto Wolff

George Russell left the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa without scoring a point after contact with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap caused by a loss of power. "'100% on us', says Toto Wolff," who conceded Mercedes had let the British driver down.

At the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa on 19 July 2026, Russell’s race unravelled almost immediately when a power problem contributed to a first-lap collision with Hamilton. His team principal, Toto Wolff, accepted responsibility for the car’s failings as Russell failed to add to his points tally. The race was taken by Kimi Antonelli, Russell’s teammate, whose victory has shifted the championship picture.

Russell was clipped by Hamilton on lap one after suffering the reported power loss, an incident that left the British driver out of the points-paying positions. Team and driver accounts pointed to a performance issue with Russell’s car rather than driver error as the proximate cause. Russell has been explicit in laying blame on the machinery, saying that the car’s performance was not up to the required standard.

Wolff, Mercedes’ principal, acknowledged the squad had fallen short and said the responsibility lay with the team. "'100% on us', says Toto Wolff," a succinct admission that he and the team were accountable for the setback. The comment underlined Mercedes’ stance that technical shortcomings, not on-track decisions by Russell, were central to the outcome.

Kimi Antonelli’s win at Spa further compounded the damage to Russell’s championship ambitions. Antonelli now holds a 50-point advantage over Russell in the standings following his victory, a margin that represents a significant swing in the title race. The result marks a clear change in momentum within the Mercedes camp.

The Belgian weekend will be remembered both for Antonelli’s triumph and for the problems that left Russell scoreless. Mercedes’ public acceptance of fault, encapsulated by Wolff’s remark, sets the team on course to address the issues behind the power loss. For Russell, the combination of the incident and the points gap to Antonelli is a serious blow to his hopes of challenging for the championship.

With 50 points separating him from Antonelli, Russell faces an uphill task to reclaim championship position, and Mercedes has signalled it will shoulder responsibility for the failure at Spa. The team’s admission and Antonelli’s win together leave Russell’s title prospects substantially weakened.