George Russell believes only one team wouldn’t trade places with Mercedes for the 2026 F1 season

He’s only won one race so far but has consistently put himself in the mix. If this new era truly plays into Mercedes’ hands like some expect, Russell’s breakthrough could finally be within reach.

The 2026 cars will be lighter, smaller and feature active aerodynamics – an area where rivals may look to claw back lap time. In addition, the reduced engine noise could make it harder for drivers to sense grip changes and manage tyres effectively. Yet there’s still plenty of time between now and then for things to change, especially with Ferrari showing signs of getting closer.

George Russell believes McLaren are the only team confident they can outperform Mercedes in 2026

Speaking to The Telegraph, Russell said he thinks the 2026 Mercedes car is shaping up well. He’s picked up two wins this season but is still nearly 100 points off the top of the standings, a gap largely explained by his car’s limitations.

Back in the early days of the turbo-hybrid era, Williams, powered by Mercedes engines, were one of their main competitors. They finished third in the constructors’ standings in both 2014 and 2015.

If Mercedes do have a clear engine advantage next year, their biggest competition might come from inside their own camp. McLaren, who have won back-to-back titles over the past two seasons, are seen as a major threat.

Russell even suggested that McLaren might be the only team who wouldn’t trade places with Mercedes right now. Alongside Williams, Alpine will also be using Mercedes power units next year.

“That’s not just marketing talk,” Russell said about what people are saying around Mercedes. “I’d probably say potentially the only ones who wouldn’t [swap places] would be the McLaren guys.”

How the F1 paddock views the other engine suppliers heading into 2026

Ferrari are expected to be Mercedes’ biggest challengers in the engine department next year. That’s despite losing power unit chief Wolf Zimmerman to Audi.

Meanwhile, there are whispers that Audi have made progress with their power unit and aren’t as far behind as first thought. They’re one of two new entrants for 2026, joining Red Bull Powertrains.

It’s been reported by James Allen, citing a “very reliable” source, that Red Bull’s engine will be about two-tenths off the pace initially. However, they’ll be able to use F1’s catch-up mechanisms and their partnership with Ford to help close that gap.

The other newcomer is Honda. Lawrence Stroll is backing Aston Martin’s move to works status, noting that designing the car around their own engine should provide a useful aerodynamic edge.