Idman.biz
Mercedes driver George Russell has spoken about the problems created by the new power unit rules being introduced ahead of the 2026 season. The British driver described his experience at the start of the Bahrain tests as the worst experience of his "Formula 1" career.
Idman.Biz reports that the elimination of the MGU-H system in the new regulations has significantly complicated the starting procedure. Drivers must now manually accelerate the turbo, which takes approximately 10 seconds.
Russell described his two start attempts during testing as follows:
"The two starts I did this week were even worse than my worst starts in "Formula 1". To win the race, you first have to move correctly from the spot. This is the most difficult obstacle right now. It doesn't matter how fast you are, if you get stuck at the start, all your potential is wasted."
It should be noted that "Ferrari" powered cars appear to be superior in this component. The Italian representative is able to apply "rocket starts" thanks to a smaller turbo design. During the tests, Lewis Hamilton's start from 10th place and overtaking Russell in the first corner caused widespread discussions on social networks.
According to experts, if "Mercedes" does not solve this technical problem, it may face serious point losses during the season.
