Heading into Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, it was difficult to believe that Kimi Antonelli hadn’t won a Formula 1 race in over a month. Antonelli’s reversal of fortune was partly helped by his teammate George Russell abruptly retiring on the opening lap after colliding with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Russell wouldn’t have been a crash target if an AI-powered energy deployment algorithm didn’t deplete his car’s battery before Spa’s longest straight.
f1tv muted this but george was actually so fucking mad oh my god
“I am out what the fuck happened with the (?) on the straight . Had no fucking battery on the straight. Guys unacceptable. Un-fucking- acceptable this whole weekend!!” pic.twitter.com/QGwr5E20sN
— miko⁶³ 𓆩⁸𓆪 #RUSSELLRESET (@awkwardstray) July 19, 2026
Russell lined up third on the grid for the Grand Prix after qualifying over four-tenths of a second slower than his pole-sitting teammate. During the start, his Mercedes was sluggish as the field climbed Eau Rouge-Raidillon and sped down the lengthy Kemmel Straight. Instead of fighting at the front, Russell was side-by-side with Hamilton heading into Les Combes, fighting for fourth place. His ex-teammate lost control on the curb and hit Russell on his outside, sending the Mercedes spinning into the gravel trap. Team radio that aired after the crash showed Russell’s frustration:
I’m out. What the f**k happened with the [SOC] down the straight? I had no f**king battery down the straight. Guys, unacceptable. Un-f**king-acceptable this whole weekend.
Software glitches are F1’s newest plague
One of the crucial issues with the new set of technical regulations is the lack of driver control in power unit deployment. With electrical power being a significant percentage of an F1 car’s total output, it’s managed by software to complement engine power on a moment-by-moment basis. According to the Race, Russell admitted that he only had 30-to-40% of his battery left when he accelerated out of La Source, the first corner. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff revealed that every Mercedes-powered car suffered this issue to some degree. However, this problem hit Russell harder than anyone else because of his inputs. The software is supposed to adapt to driving inputs to ensure consistent power delivery, but just didn’t.
While Antonelli had a clear advantage, it wasn’t all down to a bad algorithm. Wolff claimed that the issue cost Russell two tenths per lap. To reiterate, he was four-tenths slower than Antonelli in qualifying. The consequences of the retirement might carry all the way to the end of the season. The British title hope entered Spa 25 points behind his teammate in the points standings. Antonelli’s title lead has now doubled to 50 after Russell’s non-score. The fight is far from over, but Russell will need to find a way to constantly best his young teammate.
