George Russell's disastrous Hungarian GP start wasn't driver error — it was a software glitch that sent his engine revs haywire. With the lights still red, his freshly installed power unit (swapped after Saturday's water leak killed the original) climbed to 12,800 rpm on just 30% throttle. Russell lifted to compensate, dropping below 10% input, but the revs yo-yoed wildly. When the lights went out, he launched at 9% throttle while teammate Antonelli held the standard 30%. Russell's engine speed collapsed to 4,500 rpm against Antonelli's 5,800, triggering anti-stall and leaving him essentially parked.
Mercedes initially suggested Russell had lifted prematurely — he did, but only because the engine was redlining itself. Toto Wolff later confirmed it was a known issue from Bahrain testing, resurfacing at the worst possible time. For Russell, already riding a brutal streak of bad luck into the summer break, it was another weekend where the margins turned against him before the race even started.
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