Mercedes has acknowledged a growing problem with race starts on its new W17 under the 2026 regulation changes, with George Russell warning the team was “stumbling” and saying two of his practice starts were “worse than my worst-ever start in Formula 1.”

Russell said poor starts in Bahrain had cost positions, even causing him to spin his tires and be overtaken by teammate Lewis Hamilton before Turn 1, and he warned that fixing launches was the “tallest hurdle” the team must clear to avoid losing races.

The issue prompted the FIA to organize extra practice starts during the Bahrain weekend and introduce blue-light warnings to improve safety around launches.

Sources

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