George Russell Labels Practice Launches ‘Worst Ever’ as Mercedes Faces Key 2026 Hurdle

The 2026 regulations have remained a massive talking point in the paddock. Many drivers are dissatisfied with the complexity of the rules, especially the tricky race starts. Amid constant criticism of the race start procedure, George Russell has joined the train as well. The Briton opines that the race start procedures during pre-season testing were the worst he has experienced in his career.

Following the removal of the MGU-H component from the power units, the race start procedures have received some crucial changes. The drivers cannot pull off from the start line as quickly as they did before. Because of this, many drivers were unable to move their cars at all following the five lights going out. This included George Russell, who certainly doesn’t like the new procedure, for obvious reasons.

George Russell managed expectations and did not fire shots at the start procedures. He accepted that there was a lot of potential to improve racing beyond the apparent problems. However, Russell noted that to win a race, drivers needed to get off the line quite well. Many drivers had to wait upto ten seconds for the engine to spool up and the turbo to kick in. This meant that the drivers at the back of the grid were facing delayed reactions to the lights going out.

I think we’ve got a lot of potential beneath us, But to win a race, you’ve also got to get off the line quite well.

George Russell said, as reported by RacingNews365.

Further, George Russell claimed that the two practice race-start procedures during the pre-season test were the worst ever for him in Formula 1. Even Oscar Piastri had concerning remarks on the race starts, as he even called it borderline unsafe for the drivers. Despite the initial skepticism over the regulations, Russell remains the people’s favorite to achieve his maiden championship win in the 2026 season.

And I think the two starts I’ve made this week were worse than my worst-ever start in Formula 1.

George Russell added.

George Russell claims speed “doesn’t matter” anymore for the race start procedures

With the new race start procedure, pure speed off the racing line might not be the only thing crucial for a good race start. Many drivers now risk going into anti-stall if the MGU-K hasn’t kicked in while launching the cars. Some people even claimed that the new race start procedures were more like those of Formula 2, and they could go wrong in many ways compared to before.

George Russell continued his tirade on the race start procedures and revealed how pure speed did not matter anymore. The Briton talked about how Lewis Hamilton went from P10 to P1 at the race start simply because of his turbo being kicked in before the others. As such, Russell highlighted that this would be the tallest hurdle for the teams and the drivers, and they were all trying to wrap their heads around these problems. The Silver Arrow accepted that many were stumbling upon the hurdles at the moment.

Lewis, down in P11 [P10], got into P1, So at this stage, I don’t think it matters how quick you are; the thing that’s going to trip you up is going to be that tallest hurdle. And that’s what we’re trying to get our heads around right now. And yeah, we’re stumbling on some at the moment.

George Russell noted.

Certainly, things aren’t looking the prettiest ahead of the commencement of the 2026 season. The sport risks losing its core audience if they do not fix the apparent issues. For now, development will be very crucial for the teams heading into the new regulations. However, the learning process can be hindered if they cannot comprehend the regulations well.

Continue Reading: Max Verstappen Open to ‘Dream’ Le Mans Team-Up With Sebastian Vettel

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