Mercedes has traced its recent Formula 1 retirements to a battery problem in the power unit and is developing a permanent fix. The issue caused George Russell to retire while leading the Canadian Grand Prix and Kimi Antonelli to stop from second place in the Barcelona Grand Prix.
Technical director James Allison said the failures originated in the same area of the battery across several Mercedes-powered cars. The team has understood most of the risks and plans to phase in new modules during the season.
Allison noted that the DNFs are painful and have cost the team points in the championship fight. Mercedes lost an effective 43 points from the two incidents, allowing Ferrari to close the constructors' lead to 72 points.
Former Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams expressed concern that bad luck could prevent Russell from winning a title. She said Russell deserves a championship after strong performances this season despite the setbacks.
The team is now preparing for the Austrian Grand Prix next weekend as it works on the fix.
