FERRARI’S 2026 EDGE: WHY GEORGE RUSSELL CLAIMS THE SCUDERIA LEADS ON RACE STARTS
George Russell spots a massive Ferrari advantage for the 2026 F1 season! Discover the technical secret behind their race starts.
George Russell has noticed something interesting about Ferrari: they seem to use higher gears off the line than anyone else, and honestly, that could give them an edge at race starts.
Right now, everyone’s talking about launches before the first race in Melbourne. Oscar Piastri’s worried about safety, but Russell doesn’t think it’s that dramatic anymore. Still, the new engines are driving engineers crazy. He says it’s a real headache for the teams.
Ferrari, at least from Russell’s point of view, looks to have an advantage here.
With all the new 2026 rules shaking up both the cars and the engines, drivers are having to relearn a bunch of stuff. Starts are a big topic in the paddock, and not everyone is thrilled about how things are going.
Getting an F1 car off the line isn’t simple these days, not with these power units. Things got a little wild during that Bahrain test, too. Piastri, whose car was slow off the mark, blamed other drivers, not the engine, but he still wants to talk about safety before Australia.
He’s worried that drivers could end up dealing with anti-stall as you see in Formula 2, and McLaren boss Andrea Stella agrees there’s reason to worry.
“We’ve made progress, but it’s tough,” Russell told reporters. He says these new rules are a mess from an engineering perspective; fix one thing, and something else pops up. The mechanics are really earning their pay cheques right now.
He’s not sure how it’s going for everyone else, but he thinks his team has made progress on starts. Still, it’s definitely not easy.
Ferrari might have it easier, though.
Russell gave an example from Bahrain. Normally, that first corner’s a third-gear turn, but now he has to take it in first just to keep the engine revs high and the turbo spinning. He calls it annoying, definitely not what feels natural.
Turbo lag is a bigger problem this year, which just makes starts trickier. But Russell points out that Ferrari engines seem to handle higher gears off the line, which probably means they’re using smaller turbos, which could make their starts smoother.
When asked about how precise the turbo needs to be for a good launch, Russell says he just follows the procedure and only goes when everything lines up. But in a race, you have to go as soon as the lights go out, whether your turbo’s happy or not.
He figures Ferrari’s setup means they don’t have to worry as much, maybe because of that smaller turbo. It could give them a slight advantage off the line.
As for safety, Russell says things were dicey back in Barcelona, but since then, they’ve made big steps forward.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
