Russell shares why Mercedes are feeling ‘very confident’ for 2026 power unit regulations

George Russell has expressed some early confidence from the Mercedes camp ahead of new power unit regulations being introduced in 2026, arguing that the team are in a “really great place” to capitalise.

F1 will build on the current engine era by moving to power units that feature increased electrical power and use 100% sustainable fuels, alongside yet-to-be confirmed aerodynamic changes.

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Given the team’s success since turbo-hybrid power units arrived in 2014 – which sparked a run of eight consecutive constructors’ and seven straight drivers’ titles – and their pedigree elsewhere in the motorsport world, Russell sees plenty of reason for optimism.

“I mean, ordinarily, 2026 seems like a long time away, but in the world of Formula 1 it’s going to be here tomorrow, and the team are feeling really confident for this era,” he said at the Monaco Grand Prix.

“I think you know the experience the team have had, the success in 2014 with the new powertrain, and then obviously the time in Formula E, the work that was done with the [Mercedes-AMG ONE] Hypercar.

“There are a lot of individuals within HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] who have got so much experience with this future technology.

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“I think that leaves us in a really great place to have a great engine. And the work [Mercedes fuel and lubricant partner] Petronas are doing on the fuel as well is looking really strong. So, on the engine side, I think we’re feeling very confident for that era.”

As it stands, teams are waiting to receive the definitive version of the 2026 technical regulations from F1’s governing body, the FIA, which will confirm the finer details of the sport’s new car.

However, while outfits up and down the grid have been laying the foundations on the power unit side for some time, any aerodynamic work is banned until the start of 2025.

That means, regardless of early power unit progress, there is still a “voyage of discovery” ahead for Mercedes and their rivals, as recently outlined by the Silver Arrows’ Technical Director, James Allison.

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“It [2026] is just around the corner, [but] it’s hard to look forward too intensely at the moment, because we have to wait and wait and wait to actually get the regulations,” he said. “Right now, most of the focus, in all honesty, is on the present and the next season.

“The main action in 2026 land is the power unit and the areas in which that power unit interfaces with the chassis, [while] the aerodynamic rules, and where all the lap time is from a chassis guy perspective, that’s still a bit of a voyage of discovery.”