Mercedes driver George Russell believes his team can maintain second place in the Constructors’ Championship. Following the Grand Prix of São Paulo, Mercedes has a lead of 32 points over Red Bull and 36 over Ferrari. Despite the tight battle for P2, the Brit reveals that almost the entire team has already shifted its focus to next year, when Formula 1 enters a new era with completely redesigned cars.
With entirely new cars hitting the track in 2026, many teams have already allocated most of their staff to the upcoming season. However, the remaining forces are still focused on successfully completing the current season. “I would say that about 95% of our team is working on 2026, but the team on the track are really the last warriors fully focused on this year’s car,” explains Russell. The Brit emphasizes that the focus at Mercedes is now mainly on next year: “In terms of development, everyone is working on the 2026 car, and even I am only driving that car in the simulator. So there is a lot of emphasis on next season.”
The new 2026 cars are designed to better follow the car in front and make overtaking easier. The new regulations herald a completely new era for Formula 1: engines become significantly more efficient, hybrid systems more powerful, and sustainable fuels take a central role. Both the chassis and powertrain are completely redesigned. The current DRS system is also being phased out; in its place, the sport is introducing the Manual Override Mode, which gives drivers initiating an overtake a temporary extra electric boost. It remains to be seen how the teams will utilize these new opportunities.
