Wolff slams 'Teletubbies engineers' after blue flag system failure causes chaos at Hungarian GP

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Highlights from the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has criticised "Teletubbies engineers" after Oscar Piastri labelled backmarkers "unacceptable" following his collision with Carlos Sainz at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

In the second half of the race, leaders found it difficult to navigate lapped runners. It has since emerged that there was a problem with the blue flag system, leaving physical blue-waved flags and panels as the only way drivers knew about approaching front-runners.

Normally, drivers receive a blue signal on their dashboard to indicate when they need to move over when about to be lapped.

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The system failure led to a key moment in the lead battle between Piastri and eventual race-winner Lando Norris. The Australian was nearly taken out by Sainz at Turn 2 when the Williams driver moved across him, unaware Piastri was there.

"I was right behind him [Sainz] for a sector. I couldn't believe what happened," said Piastri, who later retired due to gearbox failure while running in second.

"Getting crashed into by a lapped car is never one of the things you expect that can go wrong in your race, and today it was, so I don't really care if he didn't see me. The fact that he didn't and no one told him, or there was a lack of complete awareness, is unacceptable."

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Oscar Piastri was livid after making contact with Carlos Sainz

Sainz, who received a five-second time penalty for the collision, described the system fault as a "pretty good excuse" for the incident.

"I had no idea I was about to get lapped, and on top of that, I was in a big fight with Fernando trying to undercut him into the corner," he said.

"I wouldn't have expected Oscar to be there, and even if he was there or I would have expected he was on my dead spot on the angle, so it was impossible honestly from my side to avoid it.

"Probably a bit better communication would have helped, but at the same time [it was] a racing thing."

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Oscar Piastri suffers a gearbox failure and retires from the Hungarian GP

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was also critical of the backmarkers, as the issue impacted the battle for the podium between Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton when the pair were chasing down Max Verstappen.

Wolff told Sky Sports F1: "The marshalling system not functioning and cars at the back defending in the Lewis and Kimi fight. It's disgraceful from some of the Teletubbies engineers that sit on the pit walls of these teams not telling their drivers what's happening behind."

Piastri: Sainz should look in the mirror

Piastri's contact with Sainz cost him time and the lead to his team-mate Norris at the second round of pit stops, which only heightened his frustration.

Sainz suggested Piastri "could also have been a bit more careful" given he was fighting for the win, but Piastri disagreed with the comments.

"He's quite critical of others, and others have given him some stick before for being frustrating on-track," said Piastri.

"When you go and do something like that, maybe you should look in the mirror a bit."

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Oscar Piastri reacts to his disastrous day at the Hungarian GP after being forced to retire when running in second due to a gearbox issue

The McLaren driver added: "Without getting crashed into, I would have been ahead of Lando still. So from that side of things I was fine.

"In the moment I was incredibly annoyed — in fact annoyed is not the word I would use, there's a multitude that I would — with Carlos. Then obviously when Lando came out ahead..."