George Russell looks back satisfied after his first laps in Mercedes’ W17. During the private shakedown in Barcelona the Briton ate through the kilometres without trouble; for now the new power unit meets the expectations of experts and the fears of rivals. In the run-up to these test days there were still plenty of question marks about the new regulations and the artificially engineered style of racing some had predicted. Russell, however, insists he still gets the F1 feeling in his ‘race car’.
In particular, the level of electrification for 2026 had fans and drivers on edge. Battery capacity has been increased, letting drivers deploy tactical boost, overtake and recharge functions. There were worries that drivers — to save energy — might back off on fast circuits or even short-shift. In Barcelona Russell got hands-on experience with these systems. During Mercedes’ season launch on Monday he was clear: “It still feels like Formula 1.”
‘Feels like a race car’
“It doesn’t feel abnormal,” Russell explained. “Honestly, it was more intense on the simulator than in real life. When you recharge the battery you still go flat-out, but it feels a bit like you’re driving uphill. It’s still F1 and it still feels like a race car. I’d compare it to the arrival of turbos or the introduction of paddle shifters. We must also remember this was only the first test with this new system. If you compare the first hybrid V6 engines from 2014 with those from 2022 you also see huge progress. I initially had my doubts, but to be honest it just feels like a race car.”
“My biggest fear was that — like in Formula E — you’d have to be an engineer rather than a driver,” he admitted. “But in practice it’s very intuitive; after a few races we’ve all got used to it. It’s comparable to tyre management. Drivers have been lifting off the throttle to save tyres for a long time and that doesn’t make the racing any less satisfying. You still want to carry as much speed into the corners as possible and, in the end, the quickest driver still comes out on top. There are simply a few extra nuances.”
Many drivers have also praised in recent days the lower weight and smaller footprint of the new cars. According to Russell, that has noticeable positive effects on track. “You can follow each other more easily, especially through the quick corners. It also feels nicer to drive, probably because the chassis is lighter. The previous car could, on those points, really feel like a bus,” he joked. Russell could — and would — not comment on the new pecking order for 2026. “Only in Melbourne will we know where everyone stands,” he said. “But so far I really feel at one with the car. In 2022 the new regulations felt unnatural, but this W17 really feels like a race car; like what Formula 1 should be.”
