F1 2026: George Russell quashes Ferrari daydream as start data emerges

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in conversation before an F1 race — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

George Russell quashes Ferrari daydream as F1 start data emerges

Ferrari are not the best starters after all

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 3 March 2026 20:54

Data from the F1 pre-season test in Bahrain may just have taken away some of the positivity that was gathering around Ferrari.

The Maranello-based outfit performed well at the Bahrain International Circuit last month, with their new SF-26 looking both reliable and fast, with Charles Leclerc putting in the fastest lap of the whole two weeks.

On top of this, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton's lightning quick practice start suggested that Ferrari had built a power unit that was exceptional off the line, with a number of other teams struggling with their own practice starts.

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All of this has led to positivity surrounding Ferrari ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix which is taking place in Melbourne this weekend.

But new data from the Bahrain pre-season test may just have dispelled the speculation about Ferrari's race starts.

Mercedes' George Russell, who is largely seen as one of the favourites for the drivers' championship this year, is believed to have had the best 0-200km/h time of all the drivers.

Russell managed to do it in 5.30 seconds during one of his practice starts, despite describing them as 'worse than the worst starts of my F1 career'.

That acceleration time was the best, according to the data, while Leclerc was second with 5.42 seconds, and Hamilton was all the way down in 12th with 5.82 seconds.

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Will Hamilton bounce back in 2026?

Hamilton will need to perform better in comparison to Leclerc if he is to challenge for an eighth world title, even if Ferrari do have the dominant car in 2026.

The seven-time champion finished 86 points behind the Monegasque driver last season, in his first year as a Ferrari driver.

Hamilton has not won a grand prix since the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, and even that was courtesy of a Russell disqualification.

This year sees wholesale regulation changes sweeping into the sport, and there is real hope that Ferrari will be fast enough to challenge for more regular race victories in 2026, even though Russell and Mercedes are the favourites.

On top of this, Hamilton is getting the chance to drive a completely new generation of car, and he recently revealed he is 'in a much better place' and enjoying racing around in the new Ferrari machine.

Time will tell as to whether or not Hamilton's dismal performances were just a blip, or whether they signal the beginning of the end of the F1 legend's career.

F1 Ferrari Mercedes George Russell 2026 regulations