Mercedes admit error after Russell's 2026 Mexico GP

Mercedes accepted blame after George Russell dropped from P2 to sixth in the 2026 Mexico Grand Prix, while BBC Sport reported his season had unravelled.

Mercedes accepted responsibility after George Russell’s 2026 Mexico Grand Prix was compromised at the start. Autosport and Motorsport.com reported that team principal Toto Wolff said the team had let Russell down after a deployment issue hit within seconds at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Russell had qualified second, 0.009s behind Lewis Hamilton, and Motorsport.com reported he lost four places on lap one before finishing sixth.

The aftermath continued off track. Motorsport.com and RaceFans reported that Mercedes was fined €5,000 after Russell missed his post-race media duties. RaceFans also reported that Mercedes explained Russell’s lap-one problem while Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s car was losing oil late in the race.

Russell left the weekend fourth in the 2026 drivers’ championship on 250 points. The British driver, who has seven wins from 161 Formula 1 starts, said the way his season had unravelled while Antonelli moved to the title had been tough to deal with, according to BBC Sport. Autosport also reported that Russell’s form had dipped across the United States and Mexico rounds.