George Russell hails end of Mercedes porpoising thanks to 2026 F1 rules

George Russell has said that, alongside the sizeable lap count Mercedes accrued in Barcelona, the problem of porpoising is no longer an issue with the team.

Mercedes was among the teams worst hit in the last regulation set by the bouncing caused by running ground effect aerodynamic cars close to the ground, with the new regulations having moved back to the majority of downforce being generated above the cars.

George Russell: Porpoising ending ‘pretty good news for all of us’

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Drivers had increasingly complained about cars bouncing on straights, causing sparks underneath the car at high speed – in part due to the physical impact it was having on them.

While the teams were able to eventually find some sort of solution, the problem lingered on high-speed circuits and depending on which car was driven.

As for the present day, Mercedes compiled more than 500 laps across its three allocated days of running, with Russell and Kimi Antonelli finishing well up the timesheets throughout their time in the W17.

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With this shakedown having been arranged in part to ensure the all-new cars would be up and running, Russell praised how the W17 felt and the disappearance of porpoising, which should give the drivers’ backs some respite.

“I think this was a very positive test, to be honest,” Russell said after Mercedes’ running concluded.

“We had lots of mileage on the car, which was the main focus of the test.

“The car’s feeling nice to drive. No major issues, no porpoising – which is pretty good news for all of us, it’ll save us a few years on the back. So, all in all, a decent few days.”

The reliability of the Mercedes W17 raised eyebrows from the off in Barcelona, with the team clocking three-figure lap counts on all three days it ran.

Russell stressed, however, that a reliable car does not necessarily mean a fast car relative to its rivals – with plenty of development set to take place before the first official test in Bahrain in a fortnight.

“The car so far has been working well, but it’s not about how well it works, it’s about how quick it goes around the track – and we don’t really have an indication of that at the moment,” he explained.

“We’re sort of in a reasonably good place, but I’m sure things are going to change a lot between now and the next Bahrain test, and I’m sure people will be bringing upgrades to the car. So still, very, very much early days.”

All 11 teams, including Williams, are due to be Bahrain for testing between 11-13 February.

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