Russell ready to take the fight to F1 rivals

GEORGE Russell has declared he is ready to fight for the Formula One title and is not carrying the burden of being installed as world championship favourite.

- By PHILIP DUNCAN

Mercedes won eight consecutive constructors’ championships, and took Lewis Hamilton to six of his record-equalling seven titles prior to Russell's arrival.

But Mercedes failed to get a true grip of F1’s last set of regulations, spanning Russell’s four terms with the team so far.

However, following a major upheaval of the sport's technical rulebook - with the chassis, engines, tyres and fuel all new for 2026 - Mercedes caught the eye in last week’s behind-closed-doors test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya by boasting both impressive speed and reliability.