George Russell Reveals the ‘Most Concerning Thing’ for Mercedes After Testing Confusion

While the first testing period in Bahrain has been fairly normal on paper, there have been some surprising statements.

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1

2026 could end up being a hectic year for Formula One, with new regulations set to make the Australian Grand Prix a must-watch race, as well as the debut of an 11th team on the grid, Cadillac.

To kick off their year, Mercedes has been mired with allegations over rule manipulation involving the compression ratio of the engine in their cars.

While four manufacturers have gone to the FIA about this situation, potentially giving Mercedes an advantage, it seems like Mercedes, as well as other top teams, are potentially undermining just exactly how strong their car is.

George Russell believes Red Bull are a 'step above' the rest of the grid

George Russell has been the number one driver at Mercedes since Lewis Hamilton departed for Ferrari at the start of 2025. | Mercedes Press Image

The three days of testing that took place at Sakhir's racetrack saw three different winners - Lando Norris and McLaren on Day 1, Charles Leclerc and Ferrari on Day 2, and Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes on Day 3.

Out of the top four constructors in the standings from last season, Red Bull are the only member of that club to not have claimed a first place on any of the testing days - and yet, George Russell believes that the Austrian team are looking the most threatening heading into Albert Park.

"Probably the most concerning thing for everyone is looking at Red Bull's performance, especially on their engine side, they look a step above everyone else."

Russell on Red Bull

Russell elaborated on the reason he believes Red Bull are at an advantage, highlighting that their power unit seems to supply more energy deployment to its drivers than any other team.

"You're talking in the order of half a second to a second in [energy] deployment over the course of a lap."

Russell on Red Bull's ERS

Day 3 ✅ Solid final day on track. Lots more laps under our belt and plenty of data to go through.

Bring on week two 👊 pic.twitter.com/llBw59fJEN

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 13, 2026

Ironically, Red Bull have gone on record to state that they are not the best team and that Mercedes is better than them, with technical director Pierre Wacha explaining the team's position:

"Ferrari were quick [in testing] but clearly Mercedes on one lap were very, very quick... It's difficult to judge but it looks like we are behind on our side. We also did a race simulation yesterday, so some stuff to improve. Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari are there at the top."

Wacha on Red Bull being weaker

It seems like there is no consensus on exactly who the best team is, but on the opposite end, there are certain members of the grid who are having less than ideal starts to the year, with Aston Martin in particular looking to be in trouble.

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