Hadjar Blasts Russell for Wrecking His Mexican Grand Prix

Toto Wolff admitted Mercedes let George Russell down in Mexico.

The team principal said an energy deployment issue on the opening straight cost the Briton his shot at victory.

Russell started from the front row alongside polesitter Lewis Hamilton.

His getaway was good enough to hold second and take Hamilton's slipstream.

Then the energy delivery failed.

By the time Russell reached Turn 1, he had dropped to sixth.

Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc and both Red Bulls passed him.

Russell then attacked Isack Hadjar at Turn 6.

He failed to back out and tapped the Red Bull into a spin.

The stewards hit Russell with a 10-second penalty for causing the collision.

Hadjar was furious.

"I honestly did not expect George to stick a wheel up Turn 6 because the corner was completely mine," Hadjar said.

"I was aware of him and I shouldn't have trusted him in the end, but it happens."

"Clearly, it's a shame. This completely ruined my race."

Hadjar had started seventh and made up ground on the opening lap.

He said he believed he had a shot at the podium before the contact.

"During that Lap 1, I was like, 'Okay, I have a shot for the podium.' And then it was finished," he said.

The Red Bull sustained minor front-end damage.

Hadjar's team had to repair something during the pit stop, costing a couple of seconds.

He crossed the line ninth.

Russell finished sixth after the penalty dropped him behind Lando Norris.

Mercedes excused Russell from his media duties after the race.

The FIA fined the team €5,000 for the absence.

Wolff said he found Russell on the FIA scales looking distraught.

"I saw George after the race on the FIA scales, and obviously he's distraught about the situation," Wolff said.

"It was a great show of sportsmanship to go and see Kimi."

"I have known George for such a long time and I know for a racing driver this is a catastrophic moment."

"Maybe today the race was a little bit a picture of his season."

"This was a race for him to win."

"We had the pace in the car and we let him down on the first straight."

"The energy delivery is not what we have thought it should be."

Wolff said he understood Russell leaving the track without speaking to media.

"Him not doing the media work or leaving the track is absolutely understandable," Wolff said.

"Him staying would have actually surprised me. That's absolutely honoured."

This was not the first time an energy deployment issue hurt Russell.

At Spa-Francorchamps, a similar failure on the Kemmel Straight led to a collision with Hamilton.

Russell retired from that race.

He also suffered power unit failures that forced retirements from the lead in Canada and from third in Malaysia.

Hadjar also pointed the finger at himself.

"Honestly, it's my fault that happened today, the Lap 1 incident, because had I done a better job yesterday, I wouldn't be starting seventh," he said.