March 8 is just around the corner and there is less and less left for the 22 cars to roll on the asphalt of Albert Park. The first test was in Barcelona, but the unknown about the possible performances of the different teams remains total. The eyes of the entire Spanish public went to Adrian Newey and his radical design of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martinbut expectations skyrocketed after the engineer’s subsequent words: “The AMR26 competing in Melbourne it will be very different the one seen in Barcelona”.
He confessed that they were tight on time, but revealed his great asset: “Probably the best wind tunnel in the world for F1 applications“. A lot of expectation and few certainties just over a month before the World Cup begins, but the rivals do not rule them out in the fight. George Russell analyzed the situation after the presentation event of the Mercedes W17. He did not forget Fernando Alonso in the fight for the next championship.
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The Englishman gave a shortlist of favorite teams for 2026: “Right now, it seems that Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and us are quite close to each other.”. He feels like an open fight: “The best thing for the sport would be if there were several drivers and manufacturers in the fight.” Aston Martin does not appear in this first group, but it was mentioned by the Briton: “You can’t rule out Aston Martin, because what Adrian Newey has built is spectacular.”
The British team arrived late to the tests, but it amazed the entire paddock. The design is very different from the rest and we only have to wait if it will be effective. Russell doesn’t just value aerodynamics: “Honda made a great engine for Red Bull in the past, we know what they are capable of”. He goes back to the past and mentions the Asturian driver: “It would be fantastic to see a great fight, I remember 2012 with the McLarens, Fernando and Red Bull.”
The aside with the AMR 26 did not end there: “The Aston Martin was probably the most notable in terms of car design.e. Everyone was looking at that rear suspension and obviously visually it’s very impressive, but nIt’s not a competition to see who is sexier, but rather how fast he is on the track.“. He does not hide his surprise, but he has a clear recipe for success: “People are always looking for the fastest car and we will discover it in Melbourne.Whoever it is, that’s going to be the car you want to try to draw inspiration from.”
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The German team has been the big favorite for its engine for some time now and Russell did not hide: “It’s still too early to know what our strength is, but, as Toto said, it doesn’t look bad at all.”which is an advantage. But is it a car capable of winning a championship? “It’s still too early to tell.”. He wants to fight: “I want to compete with Max and, obviously, with Lando. “He had a great season last year, but that doesn’t put any pressure on me.”
He stresses that the fight will be open: “The fans and people probably expected a battle between Mercedes and McLaren, because Mercedes was expected to have the best power unit by far, but it seems to me that the other power unit manufacturers have done a good job.” The power unit is its great asset, but may face a problem since different Italian specialized media report that The FIA would have agreed to change the measurement rules for the 2026 engines.
It would continue to be measured statically, but now it would be hot, something that would clearly harm Mercedes. “It is a legal system, which adapts to the regulations,” explained Toto Wolff, but everything may change. This would be a fatal blow for Russel and Antonelli, great favorites so far and would give air to the rest of the manufacturers. Four out of five favorable votes are needed for the changebut everything indicates that Red Bull would turn its back on Mercedes, remaining the only one against it.
