Wolff blames engineers after Hungarian GP blue-flag glitch

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff launched a scathing public rebuke of rival Formula 1 teams' race engineers following a chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, July 26, 2026, blaming them for failing to manage slower traffic after a critical race control system failed. Wolff, whose driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished third, described the engineers as "Teletubbies" and called their performance "disgraceful" for not adequately warning their drivers of approaching leaders.

The race at the Hungaroring was disrupted by a failure of the FIA's electronic blue flag system, which normally uses trackside light panels to signal backmarkers that they are about to be lapped. With the system malfunctioning, race control had to rely solely on manual flag signals from marshals and radio communication from each team's pit wall. This led to multiple incidents where lapped cars did not yield promptly, costing frontrunners valuable time and escalating tensions.

The issue proved costly for Mercedes rookie Antonelli, who was battling to hold off Lewis Hamilton for a podium position in the final laps while simultaneously chasing Max Verstappen. Antonelli was repeatedly delayed by slower cars that...