Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff described engineers from backmarker teams as "Teletubbies" after their drivers failed to get out of the way of Kimi Antonelli at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Issues with the automated blue flag system, which warns drivers they are about to be lapped by faster cars, resulted in a degree of confusion among drivers during the 70-lap race.
In the cooldown room before the podium ceremony, both race winner Lando Norris and third place driver Antonelli revealed they were mistakenly given blue flags while on the lead lap.
The issue created problems when the lead cars started to lap backmarkers -- the most extreme example of which resulted in a collision between Oscar Piastri, who was in contention for victory, and Carlos Sainz, who was running in 15th.
Wolff said the lack of blue flag signalling also impacted the third-place battle between Antonelli and Hamilton towards the end of the race, but blamed the race engineers of the backmarker teams, who he felt were not communicating the presence of faster cars to their drivers.
In his post-race interview with Sky Sports, Wolff likened the engineers to the main characters from the British children's TV show, The Teletubbies, who mostly speak gibberish and behave like toddlers.
"Then there was the marshalling system not functioning and cars at the back defending from a Lewis and Kimi fight," he told Sky Sports. "It's disgraceful from some of the Teletubby engineers that sit on the pit wall of these teams not telling their drivers what is happening behind."
The problem capped off one of Mercedes' most difficult race weekends of the season after Antonelli received a grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement on Saturday and Russell suffered an engine problem at the end of qualifying followed by a startline issue on Sunday.
"I think it wasn't running really well for us from Friday onwards," Wolff said. "And then from yesterday onwards, with the damage on George's car, the penalty that Kimi got, a P6 [for Russell] and P3 finish is a good recovery.
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"Nevertheless, it's not where we should be. Yet again, we did a mistake screwing George's start. It's not acceptable and not good enough from us."
Antonelli now leads the drivers' championship by 50 points from Hamilton, with Mercedes leading the constructors' championship by 72 points from Ferrari.
"Overall today I'm just not happy about the whole situation, but when I am going to calm down we are taking a solid gap in the drivers' championship into the summer, a good gap in the constructors' championship, and that is a credit to a fast car, great team," Wolff added.
"At times we are unlucky, like with the VSC today, but also not good enough in reliability."
