• Electrical fault had damaged Briton’s world title hopes

• ‘I’m glad we found it. Spa and Silverstone exposed issue’

George Russell believes his Mercedes team have identified the problem with his engine that damaged his world championship hopes over recent races and left the driver fuming when it played a key role in him being knocked out of Sunday’s round in Belgium.

Russell has been struggling with issues with his electrical energy deployment for three races now, since the Austrian GP, particularly at Silverstone and Spa which are energy-dependent circuits. In Belgium he was furious after he lacked electrical energy when exiting turn one on the opening lap. It left him vulnerable to the chasing pack, notably the Ferraris which swept past and he entered Les Combes corner alongside Lewis Hamilton, who clipped the Mercedes, sending Russell out of the race.