Mercedes F1 hit by MASSIVE computer outage at Hungarian Grand Prix

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MASSIVE computer outage hits Mercedes at Hungarian Grand Prix

Mercedes F1 team faced an unusual issue ahead of practice in Hungary

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 19 July 2024 13:56 Updated: 13:10

The Mercedes Formula 1 garage has been struck by an unusual issue ahead of practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The world outside of the paddock woke up to carnage Friday morning as a huge IT outage caused widespread issues; grounding flights, impacting banks and perhaps even the Mercedes F1 team.

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Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike offers systems to a wide range of companies across the globe and also happens to be a Mercedes sponsor.

Following the issue, which was reportedly caused by an update implemented by CrowdStrike, Mercedes confirmed they were facing computer issues themselves.

Mercedes have appeared strong at the Hungaroring in the past, taking pole position for the last four grands prix there, with expectations high following Lewis Hamilton's Silverstone victory.

Both the Silver Arrows made it out onto track for FP1

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will both be fighting for pole position

How were Mercedes impacted?

Ahead of the 13th round of the 2024 season, Mercedes' computer systems appeared to have been impacted by the issue.

The outage has also been reported to have affected machinery used for Mercedes’ engine customers; McLaren, Aston Martin and Williams.

A Mercedes spokesperson confirmed: “We are working closely with our partners to ensure it has no negative impact on our track running, and applying the relevant fixes.”

The Brackley-based outfit appeared to be functioning as normal in FP1, whereas the Sky Sports F1 broadcast still faced issues, unable to deliver the on-board data they would usually provide.

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Sebastian Vettel Silverstone Hungarian Grand Prix