P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 star Russell shocked by what Red Bull did in testing
Mercedes F1 driver George Russell expressed his surprise at Red Bull’s performance during the Barcelona shakedown, acknowledging their achievement in accumulating 303 laps.
Mercedes acknowledges Red Bull as a strong competitor in the upcoming 2026 season, despite not expecting a repeat of their dominant 2014 performance.
Red Bull’s impressive showing in testing is attributed to their new power unit project led by Ben Hodgkinson, a former Mercedes engineer with extensive experience.
A significant number of Mercedes personnel, including Hodgkinson, have made the switch to Red Bull’s engine project, highlighting the team’s growing expertise in this area.
George Russell commended Red Bull for their reliability and performance, emphasizing the importance of waiting to see how the new cars perform in actual races.
While it is still early to make definitive assessments, the competition between Mercedes and Red Bull is shaping up to be intense in the upcoming F1 season.
