George Russell’s anti‑stall start leads to seventh‑place finish at Hungarian Grand Prix FAST-MOVING
On July 26 2026 at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, Mercedes driver George Russell qualified sixth on the grid. When the lights went out, his car triggered the anti‑stall system, dropping him from sixth to the last‑placed car (21st) in the opening lap. Russell called the incident a “terrible start.”
Russell fought back to finish seventh, while team‑mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured third place, extending his championship lead to 50 points. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said the problem stemmed from an unexpected engine rev surge on a brand‑new power unit, not from driver error. Sergio Perez, who started from the pit lane, was the only driver behind Russell after the first corner.
Entities: Andrea Kimi Antonelli · George Russell · Hungarian Grand Prix · Kimi Antonelli · Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team · Mercedes‑AMG Petronas F1 Team · Oscar Piastri · Sergio Pérez · Toto Wolff
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 9 SOURCES] George Russell qualified sixth on the grid for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix. (multiple articles)
- [DISPUTED] Russell’s car activated the anti‑stall system at the start, dropping him to the last‑placed position (21st). (multiple articles)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished third at the Hungarian Grand Prix, extending his championship lead. (article 941ef6d4)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The anti‑stall activation was caused by an unexpected surge in engine revs just before the lights went out. (multiple articles)
- [DISPUTED] Sergio Perez started from the pit lane and was the only car behind Russell after the first corner. (multiple articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said the anti‑stall problem was due to a new engine, not driver error. (multiple articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Russell finished the Hungarian Grand Prix in seventh place. (multiple articles)