George Russell stated that the practice starts for the 2026 F1 campaign were his worst ever, highlighting changes to the race start procedure as a main storyline in testing.

Mercedes driver George Russell led the timesheets on the opening day of the second Formula One pre-season testing session held in Bahrain.

Sebastian Vettel has publicly backed George Russell and Mercedes to win the 2026 F1 drivers’ title, sharing his 'gut feeling' prediction.

George Russell of Mercedes secured the fastest lap during the Bahrain pre-season test, narrowly beating Oscar Piastri of McLaren, while Ferrari, Red Bull, Aston Martin, and Cadillac encountered various problems.

Mercedes driver George Russell was the fastest on the first day of Formula 1's final testing event in Bahrain, outpacing McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.