Mercedes drivers react to fears for 2026 F1 season: ‘Doesn’t feel abnormal’
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have offered their take on the issue around the harvesting of power, one of the most talked-about elements of Formula 1’s 2026 cars.
“It doesn't feel that abnormal, to be honest.”- George Russell
The Mercedes duo, who spoke to GPblog among other selected media outlets, struck a positive tone about the overall feeling of harvesting power and downshifting on the straight.
Russell explained that the sensation of harvesting energy under full throttle is far less dramatic in reality than many had feared, comparing it to driving a road car uphill.
“I would also say more from the power unit side, there was obviously lots of chat around potentially having a downshift on the straights in some circumstances,” Russell began.
“That will probably continue to be the case, but it doesn't feel that abnormal, to be honest. The way I would describe it is like if you're driving your car up a hill — you're still going flat out, but you're losing a bit of speed, and you may just downshift to give you a bit of extra revs to get up that hill,” he continued.
“That’s how it sometimes feels when the engine is harvesting, and you're regenerating the battery. So there are occasions when you can downshift at the end of the straight, even while you're flat out, but it felt more bizarre in the simulator than it did in reality, to be honest. I spoke with a few other drivers, and they actually commented the same,” he concluded.
Antonelli, in his assessment, echoed his team-mate’s view but pointed out that the impact of harvesting will vary depending on the circuit.
“It’s a big topic because obviously it depends on the track, but for example in Barcelona the boost was extremely powerful, and the closing speed to the car in front was quite drastic, so the difference in speed can be very big. Obviously, it depends from track to track,” the Italian driver said.
However, Antonelli stressed that drivers will need to be mindful of the system, particularly when attempting overtakes, given the significant effect it can have on closing speeds.
“It’s something that you need to keep in mind, especially when trying an overtake, because on those tracks where the difference is very big, you just need to be a bit more careful, let’s say, because as I said before, the closing speed with the boost being so powerful can be very big, so you need to bear that in mind,” he concluded.
Russell throws down the gauntlet to Verstappen
Russell also admitted he was ready to challenge Max Verstappen for the 2026 drivers’ championship.
The British driver admitted he feels no pressure and is willing to shoulder the responsibility of being the championship favourite heading into the new campaign.
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