Hamilton expects Russell and Antonelli to face Mercedes power unit penalties soon

Hamilton points to Mercedes reliability risk

Lewis Hamilton believes George Russell and Kimi Antonelli could be forced into grid penalties later in the 2026 Formula 1 season if Mercedes’ early reliability problems translate into exhausted power unit component pools.

“The guys in the garage worked so hard for the pitstops. We've got great pitstops,” Hamilton said. “And then everyone back in the factory has worked so hard to bring this consistency, and that's really what I think ultimately is going to make the difference this year.”

Component pools may decide the penalty picture

Hamilton suggested Mercedes may eventually pay for those failures in grid drops, depending on the condition of the affected parts.

“You're seeing engines in general have had more issues this year than they normally would have,” he said. “Don't know what the situation with on the battery side of this for George and for Kimi, but at some point there must be a penalty, I would imagine, in the sense that we only have two battery cells or something like that.”

For 2026, each driver is permitted four internal combustion engines, turbochargers and exhausts, plus three MGU-Ks, energy stores and control electronics across the campaign. FIA usage figures heading into the British GP showed Mercedes and Ferrari on similar electrical component usage: Russell had used three energy stores and three control electronics, Antonelli the same, while Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had also reached three energy stores and three control electronics.

Why the raw numbers do not tell the full story

The crucial unknown is how many used components remain available in each team’s usable pool. The FIA table records usage, but not whether failed items can return later in the season.

That distinction matters. Lance Stroll received a 10-place grid penalty at the British GP after taking a fifth energy store and control electronics, though his starting position meant he effectively lost only one place.

Hamilton’s message was clear: Ferrari must keep banking points and executing cleanly, especially on weekends when victory is out of reach. If Mercedes’ component pool tightens, reliability could become a strategic battleground again.