Russell to Mercedes’ New Upgrade: ‘Bring It On’
George Russell isn’t exactly hiding his enthusiasm for the upgrade package Mercedes is preparing to unleash at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang. Fresh off his win in Baku, Russell has trimmed his championship gap to teammate Kimi Antonelli to 66 points with eight rounds still to go in 2026 — and the mood around the Silver Arrows camp has clearly brightened.
“Bring it on” was Russell’s blunt response when asked about the car changes heading to Malaysia, which Mercedes hopes will help on more traditional-style circuits — precisely the kind of tracks where rivals like McLaren have recently had the upper hand. Russell reckons the characteristic changes in the new package should “play in my favour a bit more” compared with the current setup.
He’s candid that things looked far less rosy earlier in the season, when he was missing out on championship ground and searching for consistency. Since the summer break, though, he says he’s felt more at one with the car, and now believes his performances are strong enough to fight for victory week in and week out, not just on the odd occasion.
Whether Sepang backs up that confidence or simply adds another chapter to Mercedes’ long-running “upgrade incoming” saga remains to be seen.
Source: Formula1.com (https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/bring-it-on-russell-predicts-mercedes-bahrain-upgrades-could-play-in-my-favour.2MrIZO0XrStD76V1fTLAlA)
