George Russell defends F1’s new power units after thrilling Canada battle with Kimi Antonelli. George Russell explains why Formula 1’s current power units are creating better racing.

George Russell defends F1’s current power units after thrilling Canadian GP battle

The intense wheel-to-wheel fight between George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli lit up the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, both in the sprint race and Sunday’s main event. According to George Russell, the nature of Formula 1’s current power units is a major reason why these prolonged battles are possible — making it difficult for him to understand why the sport is already considering significant changes.

This is a topic that had already been widely discussed even before the FIA introduced its first adjustments to the power unit regulations in Miami. One of the reasons why the governing body initially preferred not to interfere too heavily with race conditions — focusing instead on qualifying tweaks — was because these current engines, built around a near-equal 50/50 split between electric and combustion power, have actually helped create more overtaking opportunities and closer racing.

That pattern has already been visible throughout the 2026 Formula 1 season. In Australia, fans witnessed the repeated back-and-forth battle between George Russell and Charles Leclerc. In China, Ferrari’s two drivers produced their own intra-team fight. The same scenario played out again in Canada, where two championship contenders went head-to-head in a duel that thrilled spectators and even appeared to energise the drivers themselves, despite a few controversial moments.

There is, however, a common factor linking all of these Grands Prix. The energy limitations of these modern Formula 1 cars are also what make these longer battles possible in a way that was less common in previous eras. As highlighted before the weekend, Canada was expected to be one of the most difficult circuits for energy recovery, to the point where the qualifying energy limit had been reduced to 6 MJ per lap.

It may sound counterintuitive, but the fact that Montreal was one of the most difficult circuits for energy management in qualifying actually made race management easier. Despite having four consecutive straights, the circuit’s heavy braking zones and greater opportunities for energy recovery per lap allowed drivers to recharge efficiently and deploy battery power more effectively along the straights.

This is one of the reasons overtaking in Canada appeared less artificial than at some other venues, where speed differentials can feel exaggerated. Of course, some degree of artificiality remains inevitable with these hybrid power units. But the fact that races remain unpredictable is precisely what Formula 1 has been aiming for, especially for broader mainstream audiences.

George Russell also touched on this point after the race. Although his own Canadian Grand Prix ended in retirement due to a power unit issue, he had enjoyed an extended battle with his teammate:

“I loved it. I thought it was fantastic. I haven’t had a battle like that in years. I probably haven’t seen a duel like that since the days of Lewis and Nico in Bahrain 2014.

“And these new cars allow that. These new engines allow that. I don’t understand why anyone wants to change them, because we had spectacular battles in Melbourne. We had great racing in China. Kimi and I had a really good fight today and yesterday, and that’s only possible because of how these power units work.”

That said, Russell’s comparison is not entirely accurate. Many of the overtakes seen earlier this season belonged to the much-criticised “yo-yo” category, where cars repeatedly exchanged positions because they were operating with dramatically different battery charge levels. In Australia, for example, several cars were clearly suffering from severe energy depletion — known as super-clipping — at the most decisive moments of their battles.

The famous Bahrain 2014 duel emerged under very different circumstances, beginning with the tyre compounds in use at the time, although it later became clear that the two Mercedes drivers were running different engine settings. What those two races truly have in common is something else: both took place at the start of a major technical cycle, when dissatisfaction surrounding the new power unit regulations was widespread.

Back in 2014, criticism focused heavily on reliability concerns, with some cars barely able to leave the garage during pre-season testing. Yet even then, just as today, drivers highlighted the extraordinary complexity of the new engines — a major conceptual leap from the V8 era with KERS that had preceded them.

George Russell’s defence of the current regulations comes at a time when Formula 1 is already planning its next steps. For 2027, there is growing discussion around shifting the balance between combustion and electric power to a more traditional 60/40 split — a direction Mercedes reportedly supports. Other manufacturers, however, appear less convinced and may push to delay such changes until 2028.

Looking further ahead, Formula 1 seems increasingly likely to abandon these current engines altogether by 2031, potentially returning to V8 power with a smaller KERS-style hybrid component. However, history suggests that overtaking support mechanisms will still be needed, and there is no guarantee future racing will remain as dynamic as what fans are seeing today. As recently as last season, the impact of DRS had already become significantly less decisive in certain races.