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George Russell was having a terrible day when his Mercedes stalled as soon as the lights faded in Hungary’s Grand Prix, forcing the British driver to lose some places before he finally got back.
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But the moment confusion reigned over the fans in the stands as many thought that Russell had experienced a mechanical problem. But the Mercedes team radioed a brief, but revealing message to clarify.
On being asked, “What happened there?”, his race engineer said: “Anti-stall.”
This was confirmed by the response, which reported that Russell’s car was in anti-stall mode, a safety feature which prevents the engine from stalling out if the revs have been reduced too much during a start or in low-speed conditions.
What Is Anti-Stall in Formula 1?
Anti-stall is an electronic clutch control system that is fitted onto all modern Formula 1 cars.
It is a very simple process: During race starts or after a spin, should the engine’s idle speed drop below a certain threshold, the system automatically releases the clutch, preventing the engine from completely stopping.
Restarting an F1 power unit without any outside help is very difficult, and without anti-stall, a driver’s race would be ended by a stalled engine almost every time.
The system, instead, maintains the engine’s life until the driver can recuperate and resume racing.
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Anti-stall can save a driver’s life and damage to the car, but it also has a significant negative impact. The automatic clutch intervention briefly takes away the driving force from the driver, sometimes causing the vehicle to stall or slow down before it moves off again.
Why It Hurt Russell’s Race
With Russell, the anti-stall activation was at the start, and he was standing still as the rest of the pack was moving away. The Mercedes driver somehow got back in the game and was able to press on, but was instantly dropped down the order and affected his race plan from the first lap.
George Russell drops to P18 on the opening lap after a slow getaway caused by an anti-stall issue.
A nightmare start for the Mercedes driver.#F1 | #HungarianGPpic.twitter.com/bqJ7vTw56t
— Everything Formula (@evrythngformu1a) July 26, 2026
Russell started the race at P6 but was put behind at P21 because of the anti-stall.
It is unusual to see anti-stall during race starts, and Russell’s opening lap action was one of the moments that were rarely seen in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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This story was originally published July 26, 2026 at 7:02 AM.