‘I’m gonna shut the f**k up’ – Untelevised George Russell team radio after Mexican GP ‘s**tshow’
Mercedes driver George Russell in a press conference at the 2026 Mexican Grand Prix
Untelevised team radio footage from the Mexican Grand Prix has revealed the moment Mercedes driver George Russell vowed to “shut the f**k up” after suffering a Mercedes deployment issue.
Russell finished a disappointing sixth in Mexico on Sunday as Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli came home third to seal the F1 2026 world championship.
Untelevised George Russell team radio after Mexican Grand Prix
Russell started second on the grid at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, but dropped to sixth at the first corner after losing speed on the approach to Turn 1.
The British driver then made contact with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar at Turn 6 on the opening lap, receiving a 10-second time penalty.
Mercedes was later fined €5,000 by the FIA stewards after Russell left the circuit without fulfilling his post-race media commitments.
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It emerged after the race that Russell suffered a deployment issue off the line in Mexico, having suffered a similar problem in Belgium earlier this season.
Untelevised footage from Sunday’s race, which cannot be reproduced here due to broadcast rights restrictions, has revealed how Russell initially pressed Mercedes for answers before opting to keep quiet, with team principal Toto Wolff apologising to his driver.
Russell was heard saying to his race engineer, Marcus Dudley, on Lap 1: “Mate, what was..? What was that about?”
Following his contact with Hadjar, Russell then asked Mercedes to check his car for signs of damage, adding: “Check front-left. And front wing.”
Later in the lap, Russell was heard returning to his deployment issue at the start.
He said: “Mate, how is this..? Impossible! No. Ah. I’m gonna shut the f**k up.”
Wolff added: “Sorry, George, for that.”
Russell did not comment over the airwaves after crossing the finish line in Mexico, with Dudley reassuring the driver that he was blameless for the deployment problem at the start.
Dudley said: “Strat 13. Picking up rubber. Good job from you today there, George. You didn’t do anything wrong, that one’s on us. Pace was good. Did everything we asked of you. And happy with the battery.”
Mercedes posted a clip to social media of Wolff consoling a seemingly tearful Russell after the race.
Following an embrace between the pair, Wolff was heard telling Russell: “Sorry for the s**tshow again.”
In a statement released by Mercedes after the race, Russell said: “Firstly, congratulations to Kimi on a thoroughly deserved championship.
“He has done a fantastic job this season and can be incredibly proud of what he has achieved.
“Unfortunately, it was a very disappointing race on my side.
“I made a good start and was in a strong position, but then we suffered an issue which caused me to not have full deployment down the straight.
“That cost us a lot of positions and ultimately took us out of contention for a strong result. It’s frustrating to have the race compromised by something outside of my control but that is racing.
“We will reset after this weekend and look to come back stronger in Brazil.
“We still have a constructors’ championship to win and my full focus is on helping the team achieve that.”
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Wolff added: “Today was another race where we didn’t give him the platform to show what he could do.
“The deployment issue at the start immediately compromised his afternoon and, although the incident and penalty made his race more difficult, he kept fighting and brought the car home in P6.
“There have been too many occasions this season where we have let George down and he has deserved more from us.
“His contribution to what we have achieved this year has been immense and we shouldn’t lose sight of that today.”
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