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Mercedes driver George Russell has called for urgent action after a series of disastrous practice starts during winter testing in Bahrain. The Briton revealed that the team is struggling significantly with the new 2026 start procedures, which he described as the worst he has ever experienced in his Formula 1 career.
A technical challenge for the Silver Arrows
The root of the problem lies in the removal of the MGU-H, a component that previously assisted in getting the turbo up to speed. Under the 2026 regulations, drivers must perform more manual work to ensure the turbo is ready for a launch. This has proven to be a major hurdle for Mercedes, while teams using Ferrari power units appear to have found a much smoother solution.
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Russell was blunt in his assessment of the team's progress. "To win races, you have to get off the line well. But the two starts I practiced this week were worse than my worst start ever in Formula 1," he admitted during a press conference. He emphasized that the issue isn't just about outright speed but about the mechanical and electrical synchronization required to get the car moving effectively.
Ferrari holds the early advantage
While Mercedes is searching for answers, Ferrari seems to be reaping the rewards of their early warnings about the complexity of the new start rules. Russell pointed to a practice start where Lewis Hamilton was able to surge from P11 to P1, illustrating the massive performance gap that currently exists in this specific area of the race.
"At this moment, it matters less how fast you are, but how well you solve this problem," Russell noted. With the FIA already extending the start procedure by five seconds to give teams more time, it is clear that the "start-up" phase of the 2026 era will be one of the most critical and potentially chaotic elements of the first few races.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
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