George Russell: Mercedes 'led ourselves down wrong path' with current F1 regulations

George Russell believes Mercedes' struggles in Formula 1's current era stem from starting in the wrong place with the 2022 regulations, forcing the team into a prolonged recovery. The British driver, who secured two wins in a strong 2025 campaign, pointed to Red Bull's early advantage and a fundamental misstep in car concept as key reasons for the team's inability to consistently challenge for the championship.

Why it matters:

Mercedes' inability to adapt to the 2022 ground-effect regulations marked a dramatic shift in the sport's competitive order. After dominating the hybrid era, the team's conceptual error with its 'zero-sidepod' design set them back significantly, allowing rivals like Red Bull and McLaren to establish supremacy. Russell's candid assessment highlights how a poor regulatory start can define an entire rules cycle, even for a top team with vast resources.

The details:

• Russell stated the current regulations have been "an extremely challenging set" and that Mercedes "probably started in the wrong place and led ourselves down the wrong path."
• He identified Red Bull's early solution to porpoising in 2022 as a critical advantage, giving them a "six- or eight-month head start" while Mercedes scrambled to understand their car.
• Despite continuous improvements from 2022 to 2025, Mercedes spent the majority of the regulatory period playing catch-up, ultimately finishing behind McLaren and a resurgent Red Bull in 2025.
• Russell finished a commendable fourth in the 2025 Drivers' Championship with 319 points, but the team lacked the consistency to mount a title challenge.

Looking ahead:

All focus now shifts to the radically different 2026 regulations. Russell is hopeful Mercedes can start on the front foot this time, noting that the issues will be "totally different." The team's primary objective is to avoid a repeat of the 2022 scenario, where a flawed initial concept dictated years of recovery. With new car images already released, the pressure is on for Mercedes to return to its championship-winning ways from the outset of the new era.