George Russell does not share the opinion of Max Verstappen that F1 2026 is like \u201cFormula E on steroids\u201d with the new rules. But, he has uncovered an \u201cannoying\u201d aspect at the wheel.<\/p>\n
Russell revealed that due to the new engines, which feature a 50\/50 split of electric and biofuel power, he is needing to take formerly third gear Bahrain corners in first, to keep the turbo going. Russell compared that to dropping into first gear at the \u201croundabout to the supermarket\u201d, to illustrate the \u201cannoying\u201d nature of this requirement, one which the cars are not really designed for.<\/p>\n
George Russell giving F1 2026 rules a chance, but\u2026<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n The new F1 2026 regulations are splitting opinions among the drivers now that they are getting to grips with these revamped cars. After the Barcelona shakedown, the F1 2026 stars have moved on to Bahrain, where the first of two three-day tests is complete.<\/p>\n While reigning World Champion Lando Norris is finding it \u201ca lot of fun\u201d<\/a> so far, the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen have expressed concerns<\/a>.<\/p>\n Verstappen<\/a> has shared his views in arguably the most blunt manner, calling the regulations \u201canti-racing\u201d and branding the sport\u2019s new era \u201cFormula E on steroids.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the major things which drivers must adapt to is the increase in electrical power with these new engines. It means energy management is set to play a critical role in on-track success.<\/p>\n \u201cI do think it\u2019s a step forward,\u201d Russell said of the new rules when speaking with PlanetF1.com and others at Bahrain testing.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I always like to give things a chance. We\u2019re four days into a set of regulations that\u2019s going to be over three years long, and the progress everyone\u2019s going to make in these early months is going to be massive.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the cars are way nicer to drive, the car itself. I\u2019ve only ever driven the smaller generation of F1 cars twice, and I couldn\u2019t believe the difference of how much more agile the car feels being lighter, smaller. So that\u2019s very positive.<\/p>\n \u201cThe engines are very complicated, and to be honest, it\u2019s probably causing more of a pain for all of the engineers than it is for the drivers.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, these two tracks, Barcelona and Bahrain, are arguably two of the easier circuits for the engine. So I don\u2019t want to say anything too early before we get to the likes of Melbourne or Jeddah, but it will be much more challenging for the engines and the energy once we get there.\u201d<\/p>\n Russell gave a clear \u201cno\u201d when asked if agreed with Verstappen\u2019s assessment that F1 2026 is like \u201cFormula E on steroids\u201d with these more electrified engines, before adding: \u201cI think the one challenge that we\u2019re faced with is using very low gears in the corners.<\/p>\n \u201cSo to give an example, here in Bahrain, usually the first corner is a third gear corner in the previous generation. Now, we\u2019re having to use first gear to keep the engine, the revs very high, to keep the turbo spinning. This is probably the one thing that is quite annoying and isn\u2019t that intuitive.<\/p>\n \u201cBut for the rest, you can\u2019t argue with the amount of power you have when you get the full 350 kilowatts.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I also think it\u2019s going to progress a huge amount over the coming months. So, you know, we\u2019ve got to give it time.\u201d<\/p>\n More F1 2026 reaction via PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Hamilton joins Verstappen in criticising F1 2026 regulations<\/a><\/p>\n Bahrain telemetry suggests Red Bull engine edge after Wolff claim<\/a><\/p>\n Russell was asked why he finds that annoying to have to use first gear now in such corners.<\/p>\n To explain, he set the scene of a drive to the supermarket.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine when you drive to the supermarket in your car and you get to the roundabout and you put it in third gear to drive around the roundabout, but suddenly, the person next to you says, \u2018Put it in first gear,\u2019 everything like, wham, revving, everything, like, you don\u2019t go in the roundabout to the supermarket in first gear if you\u2019re driving at a sensible speed.<\/p>\n \u201cBut this is the same thing. The car and the engine is kind of designed to go around this corner in third gear, but because of the turbo and the boost and all of this, you\u2019ve got to keep the engine revs very high, which means you have to take first gear. So the car, it just isn\u2019t really designed to do that. But you know, we\u2019re working around it.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes it feels like a bit of a handbrake when you\u2019re having to go down the gears.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this is the challenge we\u2019re all facing, is, it\u2019s slower in isolation to go around the corner in first gear instead of third gear, but then you would lose a lot of lap time in the straight.<\/p>\n \u201cSo that\u2019s where we\u2019ve got this big learning curve at the moment, knowing like how it affects you across the course of a lap. Whereas in the past, if you went around the corner quicker, or you tried something different and it worked, you know that\u2019s positive, and you just carry that forward, whereas here you almost need to wait a full lap to actually learn what I did at Turn 1, has that cost me energy or not.\u201d<\/p>\n Russell said the he is \u201cquite intrigued to see how the fans will take it and how the races will look on television.\u201d<\/p>\n Though, as a final nod to some of the criticism which has bubbled up on the new rules, Russell pointed out that drivers are rarely happy with what they have.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, we want the best cars. We want the fastest cars,\u201d he said. \u201cBut, the fastest cars were the 2020 cars. And we were also saying that we want lighter cars, you know, similar to the mid 2000s, so then in the mid 2000s they were probably saying we want slick tyres and not grooved tyres.<\/p>\n \u201cWe as drivers like to complain, and the truth is, we\u2019re sort of one of 20 people who get to experience this.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I also appreciate you know, the sport, there\u2019s 10s of millions of people watching and following, and just if you\u2019ve got the best cars for us to enjoy, doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s going to give the best racing.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you can argue, potentially, the racing will be a bit more chaotic, but, the spread from the top team to the back teams at the moment seems far larger than we expected.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Thomas Maher<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? 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