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Mercedes has completely dominated Saturday qualifying sessions throughout the 2026 Formula 1 season, but their flawless 100% pole record is facing its most severe threat yet. After a highly disrupted Friday at the Hungarian Grand Prix, George Russell isn’t just managing expectations—he is openly admitting that Ferrari currently has the upper hand.
While the raw timesheets showed Russell finishing fifth in both Free Practice sessions, the responses coming out of the Mercedes garage point to deep, systemic struggles with the W17’s baseline setup in Budapest.
Russell was quick to pinpoint the track surface as a primary instigator of the team’s lack of grip. “It was quite a strange day out there I think for everybody,” Russell noted. “It’s an amazing track to drive but they’ve resurfaced half the track, super bumpy.”
The Hungaroring underwent significant resurfacing ahead of this weekend, and Russell elaborated that the execution was flawed, noting that the asphalt was actively breaking up in the final corner. The resulting lack of grip led to chronic lock-ups across the grid, specifically heavily compromising the braking zone into Turn 1.
Hungarian Grand Prix, Friday, Getty Images BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – JULY 24: George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W17 leads Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF-26 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 24, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
This lack of predictable bite completely derailed Mercedes’ single-lap programs. According to Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord, the engineers were forced to aggressively “wind the front wing out of it” just to induce a gentle, manageable understeer, but the new tarmac made the car’s balance incredibly inconsistent.
Things were even worse for Championship leader Kimi Antonelli. After handing his car to Fred Vesti for FP1, Antonelli’s FP2 was a disaster. Beyond having his first qualifying simulation ruined by a red flag for Franco Colapinto’s crash, Antonelli spent the entire session fighting severe rear brake locking, ultimately abandoning his runs to finish in P13.
Despite Russell’s blunt admission that “Ferrari are a good step ahead of everyone right now,” the weekend isn’t a total write-off for the Silver Arrows.
First, Russell is heading into Saturday with a major psychological burden lifted. The severe battery deployment and software mapping issues that crippled his straight-line speed at the Belgian Grand Prix have been fully resolved. Russell confirmed the fix is a “huge load off my mind,” allowing him to drive naturally rather than constantly altering his throttle application to trick the power unit.
Second, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton look untouchable on a single flying lap, the long-run telemetry tells a different story. Lord confirmed that once the cars switched to high fuel, the W17’s tire degradation and race pace looked highly competitive against both Ferrari and McLaren.
Hungarian Grand Prix, Friday, Jiri Krenek during the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix 2026, 11th round of the 2026 Formula One World Championship from July 24 to 26, 2026 on the Hungaroring, in Mogyorod near Budapest, Hungary – Photo Jiri Krenek / Active Pictures
Russell echoed that sentiment: “Our single lap [pace] didn’t look great, the long run looked more competitive but what we feared with Ferrari seemed to be the case. They look very strong.”
Mercedes still believes they can fight to keep their pole streak alive, but the engineers face a massive overnight battle in the simulator. They have the race pace; they just have to figure out how to make the tires survive the Hungaroring’s crumbling new asphalt for one perfect lap.
Continue reading...
While the raw timesheets showed Russell finishing fifth in both Free Practice sessions, the responses coming out of the Mercedes garage point to deep, systemic struggles with the W17’s baseline setup in Budapest.
The New Tarmac is Breaking Up
Russell was quick to pinpoint the track surface as a primary instigator of the team’s lack of grip. “It was quite a strange day out there I think for everybody,” Russell noted. “It’s an amazing track to drive but they’ve resurfaced half the track, super bumpy.”
The Hungaroring underwent significant resurfacing ahead of this weekend, and Russell elaborated that the execution was flawed, noting that the asphalt was actively breaking up in the final corner. The resulting lack of grip led to chronic lock-ups across the grid, specifically heavily compromising the braking zone into Turn 1.
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Hungarian Grand Prix, Friday, Getty Images BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – JULY 24: George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W17 leads Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF-26 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 24, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
This lack of predictable bite completely derailed Mercedes’ single-lap programs. According to Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord, the engineers were forced to aggressively “wind the front wing out of it” just to induce a gentle, manageable understeer, but the new tarmac made the car’s balance incredibly inconsistent.
Things were even worse for Championship leader Kimi Antonelli. After handing his car to Fred Vesti for FP1, Antonelli’s FP2 was a disaster. Beyond having his first qualifying simulation ruined by a red flag for Franco Colapinto’s crash, Antonelli spent the entire session fighting severe rear brake locking, ultimately abandoning his runs to finish in P13.
A Power Unit Relief for Mercedes and Long-Run Optimism
Despite Russell’s blunt admission that “Ferrari are a good step ahead of everyone right now,” the weekend isn’t a total write-off for the Silver Arrows.
First, Russell is heading into Saturday with a major psychological burden lifted. The severe battery deployment and software mapping issues that crippled his straight-line speed at the Belgian Grand Prix have been fully resolved. Russell confirmed the fix is a “huge load off my mind,” allowing him to drive naturally rather than constantly altering his throttle application to trick the power unit.
Second, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton look untouchable on a single flying lap, the long-run telemetry tells a different story. Lord confirmed that once the cars switched to high fuel, the W17’s tire degradation and race pace looked highly competitive against both Ferrari and McLaren.
You must be registered for see images attach
Hungarian Grand Prix, Friday, Jiri Krenek during the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix 2026, 11th round of the 2026 Formula One World Championship from July 24 to 26, 2026 on the Hungaroring, in Mogyorod near Budapest, Hungary – Photo Jiri Krenek / Active Pictures
Russell echoed that sentiment: “Our single lap [pace] didn’t look great, the long run looked more competitive but what we feared with Ferrari seemed to be the case. They look very strong.”
Mercedes still believes they can fight to keep their pole streak alive, but the engineers face a massive overnight battle in the simulator. They have the race pace; they just have to figure out how to make the tires survive the Hungaroring’s crumbling new asphalt for one perfect lap.
Continue reading...
