MELBOURNE, Australia — George Russell had spent so much of Formula 1’s 2026 preseason testing period downplaying his tag as the favorite to win this year’s world championship.
Yes, Mercedes has a history of dominating at the start of a new regulation cycle, locking in an advantage in 2014 that set off a run of eight straight constructors’ championships. That run included the team continuing to lead the way when F1’s aerodynamic car design rules changed in 2017.
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But these all-new cars, with all their peculiarities, such relying far more than before on an engine battery that requires careful management, and the tendency for teams to hide their true pace in testing meant nothing could be certain. Russell thought his rivals Ferrari and Red Bull would take a step come the first race.
As Russell took a seat in the middle of the sofa for the post-qualifying news conference at the Australian Grand Prix, the spot reserved for the driver on pole, he did so knowing the questions on these topics were finally – emphatically – answered.
Not only was Mercedes the fastest team, a status confirmed after it qualified first and second with Russell ahead of Kimi Antonelli, but its advantage over the chasing pack was greater than anyone anticipated.
Eight-tenths of a
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