Mercedes driver George Russell was almost convinced that he would have to compete with McLaren’s Lando Norris this year. In 2026 there is a very good chance that Mercedes will have developed the best engine in the field and both the factory team and McLaren will use that power source.
Many insiders, experts and analysts have been saying throughout the winter period that Mercedes will be the team to beat in 2026. Toto Wolff’s team is said to have the best engine and would therefore give George Russell the opportunity to fight for his first title. But McLaren was also considered strong, as they use the same engine and clearly produced the best car in the field last year.
During the winter test in Barcelona, the rumors about Mercedes turned out to be true. The W17 of Russell and teammate Kimi Antonelli was truly amazing, easily completing 500 laps in three days of testing, earning high praise from the paddock. But Red Bull Racing, with the Red Bull Powertrains engine, also performed better than expected. As a result, Max Verstappen suddenly became one of the favorites for the title again. And Russell would like nothing more than to beat Verstappen for the championship.
“I would like to compete with Max”says the Briton at the season launch of Mercedes. “And of course Lando had a great season last year. But no, that didn’t put any extra pressure on me. The fans and the public were probably expecting a battle between Mercedes and McLaren, because there were a lot of expectations that Mercedes would clearly have the best engine,” aldus Russell.
But against all odds, Red Bull seems to have managed to build a competitive power unit, despite the fact that this is the first year in which they have done so. According to Russell, this is incredibly clever and immediately makes Verstappen a contender for the title. The battle is by no means just between McLaren and Mercedes, says the five-time Grand Prix winner.
“But it seems that the other power manufacturers have done a good job and we know that Red Bull has always had a great car. Even during Mercedes’ years of dominance, it was their engine that let them down, not their car, and of course we know how good Max is. So I think he will definitely challenge for the title this year and that’s great.” so let the Mercedescourer know.
