With all eyes on Mercedes as the 2026 favourites, the Australian Grand Prix will surely be a fascinating test for drivers, as the ability to harvest battery energy is lower in Melbourne as it was at testing locations Barcelona and Bahrain.

The result, as cars split 50/50 between electrical power and internal combustion race around Albert Park, could see unorthodox overtaking manoeuvres, and 'interesting' launches of the line.

Russell, who was asked whether racing in 2026 will be 'more chaotic' for fans, made sure to point out that having the best cars does not necessarily mean the best viewing for audiences.

Speaking to media, including GPblog, Russell said: "Well I’m quite intrigued to see how the fans will take it and how the races will look on television.

"Of course, we want the best cars. We want the fastest cars. But the fastest cars were the 2020 cars. And we were also saying then we want lighter cars, similar to the mid-2000s. So, then in the mid-2000s, they're probably saying they want slick tires and not grooved tires.

"We as drivers like to complain and the truth is we're sort of one of 20 people who get to experience this, but I also appreciate the sport has tens of millions of people watching and following and just if you've got the best cars for us to enjoy doesn't mean it's going to give the best racing, and you can argue potentially, the racing will be a bit more chaotic.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris has said Mercedes rival Russell "always knows what he's doing," when asked who he thinks is the "sneakiest" driver on the 2026 F1 grid.

The McLaren world champion compared his compatriot Russell to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, claiming the Mercedes man is "certainly up there in terms of intelligence."