Russell Acknowledges Surprising Strength of Rivals' 2026 Power Units

George Russell praised the impressive early performance of Mercedes' new power unit rivals during Formula 1's 2026 shakedown, while expressing cautious optimism about his own team's reliable but untested new car. The Mercedes W17 completed over 2,300 trouble-free kilometers in Barcelona, but the Briton noted that the debutants from Audi, Red Bull-Ford, and the returning Honda-Aston Martin partnership showed unexpected strength, defying pre-season predictions of early struggles.

Why it matters:

The 2026 season introduces a major technical revolution with new power unit regulations, aiming to level the playing field and attract new manufacturers. Early indications that newcomers are competitive, rather than lagging, suggest the regulatory shake-up might be achieving its goal faster than anticipated. This could threaten the established competitive order and make the development race even more intense from the very first race.

The details:

• Competitor Praise: Russell specifically highlighted the power unit performance of Mercedes' competitors, calling it "impressive" and "quite surprising," directly congratulating them on their work.
• Mercedes Reliability: The Brackley squad's new W17 was a model of consistency during the three-day test, accumulating 2,325 kilometers without any major mechanical issues.
• Driver Comfort: A significant improvement noted by Russell is the absence of the violent porpoising that plagued the previous generation of ground-effect cars. He stated the car feels "nice to drive," which is a major physical relief for drivers.
• Pace Unknown: Despite the smooth operation, Russell was careful to temper expectations, emphasizing that reliability and drivability do not directly translate to lap time. He admitted the team has no clear indication of its true competitive pace yet.

What's next:

All eyes now turn to the final pre-season test in Bahrain, where teams will run in conditions more representative of the early-season races. Russell expects the picture to change significantly, with upgrades likely to arrive and teams beginning to show their true performance.

• The real test will come at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where qualifying and race pace will finally reveal which teams have mastered the new regulations.
• Mercedes' strong reliability base provides a solid platform, but they must now translate that into speed to challenge what appears to be a strengthened and more diverse field of competitors.