Mercedes unsure if George Russell's cracked F1 engine can be repaired after Hungary

Mercedes faces a fresh technical headache after discovering that George Russell's damaged Hungarian Grand Prix power unit contains a crack, and the team is uncertain whether the unit can be repaired before the summer shutdown ends.

Russell came to a dramatic stop at the end of qualifying at the Hungaroring when his W17 suffered a failure, forcing him to switch to his fourth and final penalty-free engine of the season. Team principal Toto Wolff confirmed on Sunday evening that an inspection has revealed a crack in the unit, but repair feasibility remains unconfirmed.

"We need to check whether we can repair it. It has quite a crack," Wolff admitted. "In terms of engine penalties, I still very much hope we don't need to take it. And we need to decide when that is, when we need to take one, at which tracks."

Mercedes is already weighing the option of taking a grid penalty at Monza, with Wolff joking that starting from the back at the Italian Grand Prix would "take the pressure off." Russell himself acknowledged the disappointment of another technical issue ruining his race after finishing seventh in Hungary, leaving him 59 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

The situation adds another layer of uncertainty to Mercedes' pre-summer shutdown programme, with the team forced to evaluate its engine allocation strategy before the season resumes ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Sources

• [Crash.net — Mercedes unsure if George Russell's 'cracked' F1 engine can be repaired](https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1101961/1/mercedes-not-sure-george-russells-cracked-f1-engine-can-be-repaired)