According to Mercedes driver George Russell, the team has finally got a handle on the current Formula 1 regulations. After years of struggling with balance issues and a lack of speed, the Germans seem to be better adapting to the technical guidelines. Russell has repeatedly been ‘the best of the rest’ in his W16 during the first two Grands Prix of the new season.
When the current regulations were introduced in 2022, a significant power shift occurred within Formula 1. Mercedes, which was defending eight consecutive world titles at the time, came up with a radical design – initially, the W13 didn’t even have sidepods. This failed design led to the team winning only one race and finishing third in the championship. Somewhat ironically, it was that year that George Russell was promoted to Mercedes. He had missed the golden years.
It wasn’t until 2024 that Mercedes seemed to truly get a grip on the new generation of Formula 1 cars – both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell won two Grands Prix. However, the team continued to experience highs and lows; the package rarely performed consistently. This season seems to be changing that. Russell has already been on the podium in the first two races in Melbourne and Shanghai. Has Mercedes finally mastered the new rules?
‘Never Been So Confident’
“I don’t think Mercedes is maximizing the regulations,” a sober Russell responded in the run-up to the GP of Japan. “You only do that when you win every race. I do believe we understand the current regulations better than ever before. We’ve never been so confident about our package, but that probably applies to the other teams as well. That being said, you’re only judged based on your lap time, and at the moment we’re just not as competitive as McLaren.”
“We know their strengths,” continued Russell, who had to admit both McLaren drivers were ahead of him during the last GP in China. “They’re clearly doing well. If you’re really on the cutting edge in Formula 1, you drive away from the rest, not the other way around. McLaren has clearly found something that the other teams still need to discover. One more year with these regulations and everyone would have found that speed. At the moment, we just don’t know what that magic solution is. As a team, we’re just excited about the 2026 rules – then it becomes more conventional for all teams.”
