Russell admits Mercedes have struggled to match rivals' upgrade pace ahead of Bahrain GP package
Kieran is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs and feature content across the F1 calendar. An NQJ-qualified journalist with more than a decade of experience, he has previously written for publications including MailOnline, the Manchester Evening News and the Eastern Daily Press.
George Russell has admitted Mercedes have been surprised by the frequency of upgrades being introduced by their Formula 1 rivals this season, as the Silver Arrows welcome their own package at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
Mercedes have maintained strong form throughout the campaign, but Russell believes teams including Red Bull and McLaren have continued to bring significant developments despite the restrictions imposed by the cost cap.
“As a team, we have been surprised at the frequency of upgrades,” Russell told media including GPblog. “Our competitors have brought [them], and it’s no secret we’re struggling a bit with bringing the quantity of stuff, and the cost-cap limitations that we have to follow.”
The Briton does not expect another major upgrade package to arrive from the leading teams after Mercedes’ latest development, however. Red Bull and McLaren have both introduced updates in recent rounds, while Mercedes are preparing to bring new parts of their own to the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“I’ll be surprised to see another team bring a major upgrade because, of course, Red Bull and McLaren have brought one not so long ago,” Russell said. “So I hope this is what it is until the end of the season.”
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Red Bull have already confirmed that their last package introduced at Azerbaijan will be the last one they bring in for the 2026 season.
Russell confident Mercedes can fight for wins
Despite Mercedes’ concerns over the scale of development elsewhere, Russell remains encouraged by the underlying performance of the W17.
“Nevertheless, we have a very good baseline,” he explained. “I think we’ll be fighting for some victories week in, week out.”
Russell will be hoping Mercedes' Bahrain upgrade can strengthen that position and that he can focus on catching championship leader Kimi Antonelli, rather than worry about rival teams. After his win in Baku, Russell is now 66 points behind his teammate in the standings, with eight races still left on the current calendar.
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 302 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 236 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 199 | |
4 | McLarenMCL | 186 | |
5 | FerrariFER | 179 | |
6 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 163 | |
7 | McLarenMCL | 120 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 86 | |
9 | Racing BullsRCB | 59 | |
10 | AlpineALP | 41 |
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