George Russell finished second in the Barcelona Grand Prix after Mercedes made a pit stop mistake that left him with an unbalanced car. Lewis Hamilton won the race for Ferrari.
George Russell started from pole position but finished second behind Lewis Hamilton at the 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. Hamilton secured victory with a three-stop strategy, claiming his 106th career win.
Mercedes called Russell into the pits on lap 13 in response to Hamilton's stop. The team kept him on a two-stop plan, which left him running long stints on worn tyres.
During the final pit stop, a problem with the front wing adjuster tool caused an incorrect adjustment. This created excessive oversteer and hurt Russell's pace in the closing stages.
Deputy team principal Bradley Lord confirmed the error, noting it compromised Russell's performance on the high-degradation circuit. Juan Pablo Montoya said the early stop put Russell in a tough spot.
