George Russell targets Mercedes comeback after messy Belgian GP Friday

George Russell faces a Mercedes rebuild after a messy Belgian Grand Prix Friday at Spa-Francorchamps. The 28-year-old ended FP2 eighth, 1.275s behind team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who topped the session with a 1m45.944s lap.

What happened in Belgium?

Russell’s Friday started poorly. Mercedes struggled in FP1, ending sixth and eighth, but regrouped in FP2. Still, the Briton’s 1m47.229s left him 1.275s adrift of Antonelli. Onboard footage showed Russell backing off at Les Combes and losing time on exit of Turn 7. He also ran out of energy sooner between Pouhon and Fagnes S, and posted a lower top speed between Blanchimont and the Bus Stop chicane.

Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, blamed tyre issues and a tough FP1 setup. “It’s not a great lap for George but it was only one lap,” Shovlin said. “He felt he didn’t have the tyres ready at the start of the lap, which means a bit of a loss.”

Why it matters for George Russell

The gap to Antonelli in the championship now stands at just 25 points. But pace gaps like Friday’s hurt more at high-speed tracks like Spa. Shovlin noted slower corner speeds rob energy deployment on the straights, magnifying deficits at power-limited circuits.

Russell himself acknowledged he must step up to stay in the title fight. “There’s bits for him to work on,” Shovlin added. “We can see a lot of it in the data that we’ll be chasing.”

Mercedes’ power unit headache

The 2026 power unit rules demand aggressive energy harvesting, especially at Spa’s high average speeds. A compromised corner exit here drains deployment later. Shovlin called it “energy-starved,” where small gaps balloon into big deficits.

Mercedes also fixed a fuel flow meter issue that left Russell down on power in FP1. The fix came too late for a strong Friday, but the team now targets Saturday’s sessions to close the gap.

What comes next?

Qualifying looms Saturday, with Russell aiming to erase Friday’s deficit. The double-header finale before the summer break offers a chance to reset. Shovlin insists the data points to progress: “I’m pretty sure he’ll be there tomorrow.”