George Russell is keen to contest a Components 1 title battle towards Max Verstappen in 2026 with the Mercedes driver heading into the marketing campaign because the world championship favorite.
F1 will introduce a brand new set of rules this yr that means the automotive is totally new and with such wholesale modifications, the pecking order is presently unknown.
However contemplating how Mercedes dominated the final engine change in 2014 – it gained eight, straight titles – and its spectacular type in final week’s Barcelona shakedown, Russell is presently favorite for his maiden title this yr.
His competitors, nonetheless, needs to be fierce, notably down at Crimson Bull with four-time world champion Verstappen who is taken into account by many as F1’s finest driver on the present grid – even when Lando Norris clinched the 2025 crown within the dominant McLaren MCL39 – after the Dutch driver missed out on the title by simply two factors.
Russell subsequently anticipates Verstappen to be within the combine, regardless of query marks over the Dutchman’s probabilities contemplating Crimson Bull will debut its in-house energy unit which isn’t anticipated to be as sturdy because the Mercedes engine.
So when the prospect of a title battle was put to Russell at his staff’s 2026 launch, the five-time race winner stated: “I do wish to go head-to-head with Max and clearly, Lando had an incredible season final yr.
George Russell, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Workforce W16, Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing RB21
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Pictures through Getty Pictures
“However no, it did not add any extra strain. I feel in all probability the followers and folks had been anticipating doubtlessly Mercedes versus McLaren, as a result of there was loads of anticipation that Mercedes would clearly have the very best energy unit.
“But it surely looks like the opposite energy unit producers have carried out a great job and we all know that Crimson Bull have at all times had an incredible automotive, even by means of the years of dominance of Mercedes. It was their engine that was letting them down, not their automotive and we clearly know the way good Max is.
“So, yeah, I feel he is very a lot going to be within the struggle this yr and that’s nice. You clearly want that you simply’d have a barely simpler time of it, but it surely ought to by no means be straightforward and if you are going to win, you wish to have fought for it and gained it honest and sq. on observe.”
Russell clearly has loads of historical past with Verstappen given their well-known bust-up on the finish of the 2024 seasonx, however the 28-year-old isn’t the Briton’s solely focus.
He’s cautious that F1 may have a number of groups within the championship struggle, notably those that completed inside the highest 4 in 2025 with Ferrari additionally displaying promise final week; Lewis Hamilton claimed the quickest lap in F1’s Barcelona shakedown.
“One of the best-case state of affairs from the game and likewise for the drivers is that you have quite a lot of completely different drivers and quite a lot of completely different groups all battling it out,” added Russell.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Picture by: Ferrari
“I feel in the meanwhile it does seem like Crimson Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and ourselves are, for instance, the 4 groups which are all fairly shut inside each other.”
Russell did point out one other staff although that might enter the combo and that’s Aston Martin: it’s now a Honda works’ outfit, below the management of legendary designer Adrian Newey and boasts two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso.
“You possibly can’t low cost what you have seen from Aston Martin and what Adrian has carried out with that automotive,” stated the Mercedes driver of the staff which completed seventh in 2025.
“It appears fairly spectacular and Honda over the previous few years with Crimson Bull have had an excellent engine beneath them.
“So we additionally know what they’re able to; that may be superior to see an enormous struggle. I bear in mind it was 2010, while you had the McLarens, Fernando and the Crimson Bulls all combating, that is what the game is about and that is what we hope will probably be about this yr.”
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