George Russell plays down Mercedes 2026 favourites tag despite F1 engine hype

George Russell is “very confident” Mercedes will deliver a strong power unit for F1’s 2026 regulation - but he has cautioned that it doesn’t automatically make them the favourites.

F1 is introducing vastly different technical regulations for 2026, marking significant changes to the chassis and power unit rules.

In terms of the engines, they must be run on 100 per cent sustainable fuels.

They’ve also been electrified for 2026 following the removal of the MGU-H.

Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner described the rule changes as arguably the most significant in the sport’s history.

As a result, it’s likely F1’s pecking order will be shaken up considerably.

The current rumour mill suggests Mercedes will start next year with the best engine.

There’s less talk about Ferrari, but Motorsport.It have claimed they’ve gone “extreme” with their design choices.

Honda were late to the party after quitting F1, but later returned with Aston Martin.

Red Bull-Ford and Audi are building F1 engines for the first time and are thought to be on the back foot ahead of next year.

Russell remains sure Mercedes will deliver a competitive power unit, citing their strength over the last two decades.

“I’m definitely very confident in the power unit side,” Russell said.

“I think, on average, over these last 10 years or probably even longer, I can’t remember when Mercedes didn’t have the best power unit in F1.

“OK, maybe except for 2019, but obviously there were some other reasons for that!” he quipped, in reference to Ferrari’s controversial 2019 engine.

“But even before the regulation change, even in the V8 era, I think the Mercedes engine was probably the most competitive one in the field as well.

“So, I’m definitely very confident in the organisation in Brixworth.”

Russell wary of rivals

While Mercedes might start next year with the best engine, their customer teams will benefit.

McLaren, Williams and Alpine will all race with Mercedes power in 2026.

McLaren could win their 10th F1 constructors’ title at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a dominant season, and will likely pose a serious threat again next year.

“Of course, for us as Mercedes F1, we recognise that McLaren will have that same engine, Alpine will be having that engine, and even Williams are looking stronger this year,” he added.

“So, just because we’re confident that we’ll have a strong power unit and good fuel with Petronas, that doesn’t mean we’re the team to beat.

“You can’t just relax, because there’s a lot of people on the grid who also have your engine.

“We’ve got to stay on our toes, and at the end of the day, the reason we’ve not won championships in these last four years has not been because of the engine. We’re very much aware of that.”