© Sebastian Kawka for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
Ahead of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, George Russell says “morale is definitely different” at Mercedes, but he thinks “this is more to do with the fact that the car is performing as we expected”.
Even before 2026 pre-season testing started, there has been a lot of talk of Mercedes as title favourites. The talks only intensified as we approach the first race of the season.
In light of this, when asked about Mercedes’ morale ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, George Russell said it is “definitely different”.
“The morale is definitely different, but I think this is more to do with the fact that the car is performing as we expected.
“What was very important is seeing the correlation is good, there’s no major scares on the car. I put it on the ground and both Kimi and I were happy with how it was handling.
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“The engine looks strong. I think we’ve been surprised by some of our competitors how strong their power units have been, but the package looks good.
“So that is probably the biggest reason why the morale is high, and you need that at the start of any new regulations to build upon.
“In turn, the lap times look pretty decent as well in the first two tests, but we obviously know that the rate of improvement at the moment is going to be its steepest slope over the course of these next six months.
“So, as I say, it’s going to be a long fight and we hope we’re in it,” the Briton concluded.
