Russell avoids penalty after engine change at Hungary GP

Mercedes driver George Russell will start the Hungarian Grand Prix from seventh on the grid on Sunday, July 26, 2026, despite his team being forced to fit a fresh power unit to his car following a water leak discovered at the end of qualifying. The engine change will not incur a grid penalty as it falls within his permitted seasonal allocation.

The issue occurred during Russell's final lap in the third qualifying session at the Hungaroring. The British driver reported hitting a bump at Turn 4, which triggered a water leak inside the power unit. The escaping water sprayed onto his rear tires, causing their temperatures to drop and ruining his lap. Mercedes detected a loss of water pressure and instructed Russell to stop his car on track as a precaution after he completed the run.

In an official statement, the team confirmed the decision to change the power unit ahead of the race, moving to his fourth internal combustion engine of the season. Because the team is replacing a damaged component with one of identical specification, and the unit is within his allocation, Russell avoids a penalty and retains his starting position.

Russell expressed frustration, believing a better grid...