George Russell Hopes Mercedes Holds an “Ace” Against Red Bull

Formula 1, Sportrik Media – George Russell has expressed hope that Mercedes AMG Petronas is holding back “a big ace” as attention intensifies on Red Bull Racing’s apparent early advantage following the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain.

Across the three-day test, no team openly claimed to possess the fastest package, with competitive assessments largely speculative. However, a growing consensus within the paddock suggests Red Bull currently leads in power unit efficiency, particularly in energy deployment. Russell acknowledged that perception while maintaining confidence in Mercedes’ potential.

“I hope we’ve got a big ace up our sleeve,” Russell said.

“Of course, during testing, no one is running their maximum performance, and you’re still learning.”

“But the truth is, Red Bull have hit the ground running far better than every other team. When we compare ourselves not only to Red Bull but also Ferrari, they look in a good place.”

Russell insisted Mercedes has delivered a strong overall car but admitted much of the pre-season discussion surrounding its competitiveness has centred on the power unit.

“I think we’ve delivered a very strong car this year. But all of the talk about our competitiveness has been based on the power unit side, and there will be big development.”

“Right now, Red Bull is the team to beat in that area.”

Despite critical remarks from Max Verstappen regarding the new 2026 regulations, Russell offered a contrasting perspective, describing the technical overhaul as a step forward.

“We’re only days into a regulation cycle that will last three years. The progress everyone will make in the early months is going to be massive.”

“I think the cars are much nicer to drive. Being lighter and smaller makes them feel more agile, which is very positive.”

Russell acknowledged that the revised power units are highly complex and may present greater challenges for engineers than drivers.

“The engines are very complicated and probably causing more of a headache for the engineers than for us.”

“Barcelona and Bahrain are arguably two of the easier tracks for the engine. We’ll understand much more once we get to Melbourne or Jeddah, where energy management will be far more demanding.”

As the season opener in Australia approaches, the emerging narrative suggests Red Bull currently sets the benchmark, while Mercedes looks to confirm whether it truly has an “ace” ready to be played under race conditions.