Mercedes driver George Russell fears that the technical advantage seen over Ferrari in the first two races of 2026 could disappear sooner than expected.
Russell’s concerns
After the first two race weekends of 2026, including the Sprint in China, the Drivers’ Championship standings show George Russell with 51 points, Kimi Antonelli 47, Charles Leclerc 34, and Lewis Hamilton 33. Russell is not at maximum points because Antonelli took victory in Shanghai, overcoming a Saturday setback when he started poorly and received a ten-second penalty for an overly aggressive braking move at Turn 6 that caused contact with Isack Hadjar.
So far, Ferrari has been battling mainly for third on the podium. In the head-to-head comparison between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, their early-season record is 1-1, with Leclerc ahead due to finishing ahead in the Sprint.
In two weeks’ time in Japan, the first triple-header of the season will conclude. With the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, the World Championship will then resume only in May at Miami, where Ferrari is expected to bring numerous upgrades, as team principal Frederic Vasseur has revealed.
Ferrari’s performance in China
At the Chinese Grand Prix, Ferrari proved more effective than Mercedes at the start. Even during tire warm-up on hard compounds, the SF-26 cars were quicker than the W17s to bring their tires to optimal temperature. Despite this, the final gap saw the Ferraris finish at least 25 seconds behind winner Antonelli. George Russell, however, remains cautious about the near future. The Mercedes driver fears that their current technical advantage could fade quickly, as the advantage is not absolute, as Lewis Hamilton also noted. “Ferrari is definitely very fast,” Russell said at the press conference. “They are faster than us in corners but slower on the straights. Right now, we have the advantage, but we can’t take it for granted because obviously we know that some things will change in a couple of months.”
What is George Russell referring to? Both teams and drivers know that technical checks on the compression ratio will change over the summer, and the ADUO could also come into play, potentially benefiting Ferrari if the engine gap with Mercedes continues to be so pronounced.
The upcoming “spring break” caused by the calendar changes will therefore be a critical development window. If Ferrari can maintain their cornering advantage while closing the power gap through both upgrades and regulatory shifts, the 2026 title fight could tighten significantly by the time the paddock reaches Miami. For Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, the mission is clear: remains as close as possible to Mercedes in terms of points before the “political weapons” and technical directives begin to take shape.
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