While Mercedes spent the first week of the 2026 shakedown in Barcelona looking like a well-oiled machine, George Russell wasn’t just focused on his own team.
The Brackley squad’s new W17 was a model of consistency, racking up a massive 2,325 kilometers without breaking a sweat, but it was the noise coming from the neighboring garages that really caught the Briton’s attention.
With Audi and Red Bull-Ford making their high-stakes debuts and Honda reuniting with Aston Martin, many expected the new engine regulations to claim a few victims early on. Instead, the newcomers looked remarkably sharp, a fact that didn't escape Russell's notice.
“On the power unit side there’s some impressive things from some of our competitors and that’s quite surprising to be honest,” he told the official Formula 1 channel, “so well done to them.”
Despite the eye-opening pace from the opposition, Russell is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
“Obviously we’re three days into a 24-race season, so you don’t want to [read] too much into that,” he cautioned.
“But I think a lot of people anticipated the new power unit suppliers to be sort of struggling and whatnot, and they’ve had a good test as well. So that’s good for them, but for us time will tell.”
A Car Feeling Nice to Drive
The 2026 technical revolution hasn't just shuffled the engine ranks; it has also seemingly cured the headaches of the previous "ground effect" era. For Russell, the physical relief is just as important as the lap times.
“The car so far has been working well,” he noted, though he remained coy on pure pace.
“But it’s not about how well it works, it’s about how quick it goes around the track and we don’t really have an indication of that at the moment.”
©Mercedes
Unlike the bone-shaking rides of years past, the W17 appears to be a much kinder beast.
“The car is feeling nice to drive,” Russell admitted. “No major issues, no porpoising – which is pretty good news for all of us, it will save us a few years on the back, so all in all a decent few days.”
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Barcelona Gallery: Tracking F1's technical revolution on trackStill, with Bahrain looming, he knows the game is only just beginning.
“We’re in a reasonably good place but I’m sure things are going to change a lot between now and the next Bahrain test,” he concluded. “And then I’m sure people can be bringing upgrades to the car, so it’s still very, very much early days.”
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