F1 2026: George Russell admits he is 'scared' over Red Bull advantage

Russell, Verstappen, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

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George Russell admits he is 'scared' over Red Bull F1 2026 advantage

Russell and Verstappen may have quite a few on-track battles on the cards

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 13 February 2026 21:14

Mercedes F1 star George Russell has Red Bull down as the ones to watch in 2026 as mixed reports continue to come out of Bahrain over which constructor is setting the tone for the new era.

The likes of Russell and Red Bull's star driver Max Verstappen are currently in Bahrain for pre-season testing, attempting to get to grips with their new machinery that has been built in line with the sport's new wave of regulations.

The 2026 rule change sees a major overhaul in chassis and power unit regulations, with one of the most notable changes being that from this season onwards, there will be a much larger focus on electrical energy.

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Following the removal of the MGU-H for 2026, the MGU-K will now be almost three times as powerful, with the new power units seeing almost a 50/50 output split between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and the MGU-K (the electrical component of the engine).

However, as is the case with testing every single year, the true pecking order of the pack will only begin to become clear at the first round of the championship next month.

But this hasn't stopped teams from showering each other with compliments, perhaps as a way to deflect from their own performance.

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen destroys new regulations as Project Newey hits trouble

Red Bull prompt F1 reality check for Russell

Russell's F1 boss Toto Wolff once again put on a public display of complimenting Verstappen after the Dutchman impressed on day one of testing in Bahrain this week, calling Red Bull 'the benchmark' for 2026.

Though Verstappen's own media appearances in Bahrain have focused more on his sheer hatred for the new cars, Red Bull cannot hide the fact that they have got everyone talking about their new in-house power unit.

The previously smug Russell we saw in Barcelona is now appearing a lot less confident about his chances against the four-time champion this season.

"They're not just a small step ahead," Russell was quoted as saying by the BBC in Bahrain this week.

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

The Silver Arrows star then detailed his Red Bull concerns, adding: "It's pretty scary to see that difference. And Red Bull have always delivered a very good car over the past 15 years, even when they didn't have a great engine. So, yeah, this test has been really eye-opening for a lot of us."

Reflecting on the similar pattern that Red Bull displayed at the Barcelona shakedown last month, Russell added: "The truth is, Red Bull in Barcelona day one hit the ground running and were well ahead of all of their competitors - ourselves, Ferrari and the others.

"Day one here in Bahrain again, they sort of knocked it out of the park. At the moment, they're very much the team to beat.

"When you get to Melbourne and you've got three hours of practice before qualifying, based on what we've seen in Barcelona and Bahrain, Red Bull are going to be ahead."

When does the 2026 F1 season start?

After the first round of pre-season tests in Bahrain took place between February 11 and 13, the second round continues next week from February 18 until February 20.

All 11 teams will then be back in action when the 2026 season starts in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. The first race of the year takes place on March 8 at 3pm local time (AEDT), 4am GMT, and 11pm ET.

Red Bull Mercedes George Russell 2026 regulations