George Russell admitted Mercedes faces a significant overnight challenge at the Hungarian Grand Prix after struggling with the resurfaced Hungaroring, higher-than-expected tyre degradation and a lack of single-lap pace. While the team’s long-run performance offered some encouragement, Russell believes Ferrari has established a clear advantage in Budapest.
The Mercedes driver ended Friday with one unmistakable impression: the circuit has changed, and his car appears to be struggling more than it did at recent rounds. The newly laid asphalt seems to have overturned some of the team’s previous expectations, amplified the weaknesses of the W17 and allowed Ferrari to establish a clearer understanding of the weekend.
George Russell struggles to understand the resurfaced Hungaroring
George Russell did not attempt to hide his frustration when assessing Mercedes’ opening day in Hungary.
“It was a strange day out there,” he said.
This was more than a general observation. Russell felt the character of the circuit changing beneath the car, with the resurfaced Hungaroring no longer offering the familiar feeling he had developed at the venue in previous years.
“It is quite bumpy in certain places,” George Russell explained.
The uneven surface made it difficult for Mercedes to stabilise the car and establish a consistent set-up. Russell struggled to feel fully connected to the W17, with the bumps disrupting its balance and making its behaviour less predictable from one section of the lap to another.
That represented a setback for a team that had arrived in Budapest believing the Mercedes W17 could challenge Ferrari at the Hungaroring.
Tyre degradation and single-lap pace concern Mercedes
Tyre degradation was the second major problem identified by George Russell, who described it as “higher than expected”. The issue was not limited to the physical wear of the tyres, as it also affected the driver’s confidence and ability to understand the car.
When tyre performance drops too early, a driver cannot build a complete lap, evaluate the car consistently or identify precisely where changes are required. That lack of continuity contributed directly to Mercedes’ disappointing qualifying simulations.
“Our single-lap pace did not look particularly good,” George Russell admitted.
That weakness carries additional importance at the Hungaroring, where qualifying position can shape the entire Grand Prix. The circuit offers limited overtaking opportunities, meaning a poor starting place can be difficult to recover from even when the car has stronger race pace.
Mercedes therefore needs to find a more effective way of preparing and protecting its tyres while improving the W17’s stability over one lap. The challenge is to unlock more qualifying performance without compromising the car over longer distances.
Mercedes finds encouragement in its long-run pace
Despite the difficult overall picture, Mercedes did identify one encouraging element during Friday practice.
“Our long run looked more competitive,” George Russell said.
This did not represent a complete reversal of the situation, but it suggested that the car could settle into a more credible rhythm when it did not need to deliver maximum performance over a single lap.
Longer runs place different demands on the car and tyres. Rather than requiring every element to reach its optimum level for one decisive lap, they reward consistency and controlled tyre management across an extended stint.
Mercedes appears to have a more promising foundation in that area, although stronger race pace alone may not be enough at a circuit where track position is so valuable. Russell’s long-run assessment offers a starting point for the team’s overnight work rather than a complete solution.
Russell says Ferrari is clearly ahead in Hungary
The central point of George Russell’s Friday assessment came when he discussed Ferrari’s performance. The Scuderia’s advantage was too significant to ignore after its strong start to the weekend.
“The Ferraris look very strong and they will be difficult to beat this weekend,” Russell said.
Ferrari appeared to interpret the new asphalt more naturally, manage its tyres effectively and find competitive pace without encountering the same balance problems as Mercedes. The performance supported expectations that the SF-26’s low-speed cornering strength could suit the Hungaroring.
Mercedes, by contrast, remained in pursuit of a stable set-up and a clearer understanding of the resurfaced circuit.
“They are a good step ahead of everyone,” George Russell added.
It was a particularly direct assessment from the British driver and reflected the scale of the task facing Mercedes before final practice and qualifying.
Mercedes faces demanding overnight set-up work
George Russell concluded his assessment with a call for hard work rather than optimism.
“We will have to work hard overnight if we want to close that gap,” he said.
Mercedes does not need to rely on a dramatic breakthrough, but it must find a set-up that gives Russell greater confidence and allows him to drive the W17 as he knows he can. Reducing tyre degradation, improving stability over the bumps and unlocking stronger single-lap pace will all form part of that process.
The situation also places additional pressure on the team to execute cleanly during qualifying, particularly after Toto Wolff had already urged Mercedes to deliver a clean Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
Ferrari begins the next phase of the weekend from a position of strength, while Mercedes must use the overnight data analysis to adapt to a circuit that no longer behaves as expected. Russell’s more competitive long-run pace provides some hope, but the immediate priority is clear: the W17 needs to become faster and more predictable over a single lap before qualifying begins.
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