Max Verstappen: Welcome to Formula 1 2026, it can be a jungle

One of the topics that dominated the weekend in Spa was the inexplicable lack of performance George Russell has been suffering on the straights while Antonelli had no issue.

Toto Wolff even revealed that all Mercedes power units have suffered from similar issues during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.

"It can happen," Antonelli told reporters during the post-race press conference in Spa on Sunday with Leclerc and Verstappen at his side.

He explained: "Being honest, with George this weekend there was a slight loss, and sometimes you just don't understand. I had the same in Australia, for example. It can be a little bit down to driving, but sometimes the system just does something a little bit different.

"It's very complicated, and for the team, you have to appreciate the work, because the system is very complicated. Of course, they're trying to make things a bit easier, but sometimes it's hard to get it perfect.

"Also, with the driving, sometimes, especially on tracks like this that are very energy-demanding, if you start driving differently, then for the system it's a bit crazy.

"So, it is tricky. But I have to agree that this weekend, for George, there was a slight issue. I'm sure it will be fixed for Budapest," the Italian concluded.

Leclerc echoed Antonelli's sentiments, basically saying no one knows what the hell goes on with the 2026 Formula 1 power units.

He said: "I don't know what George's issue was, obviously, but the only thing I can say is that it happens. These power units are so complex that there are some days when you scratch your head trying to understand why you are losing so much on the straights.

"That was a bit the case for me on Friday and in FP3. Then, in qualifying, things went well again by slightly fine-tuning things. It's just very difficult but also very frustrating sometimes for a driver because.

"Even when you are doing your best, there are things in the background that change constantly, and that's not so nice," the Monegasque lamented.

As for Verstappen, who is known to be the harshest critic of the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, he was fed up, not bothering to expand his answer, simply responding: "Yeah, I mean, welcome to F1 2026. Sometimes it can be a jungle."