There is no love lost between Mercedes and Pirelli, and George Russell has spoken frankly about what has not convinced him in recent months. Specifically, he is referring to the tires that the Italian company is developing for 2026.
Mario Isola’s team is preparing a series of tire compounds to adapt to the technical changes of the 2026 regulations, which will bring major changes. Pirelli will also make modifications, particularly concerning tire width. Currently, the front tires measure 305 mm, and the rear ones 405 mm. The reduction will be 25 mm and 30 mm, respectively.
George Russell Skeptical About It
Pirelli has started working with F1 teams to collect data on these new tires. In particular, during the early months of 2025, we’ve seen tests conducted by Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, and Mercedes was also involved.
George Russell was on track in Jerez in February. He had the chance to drive the Mercedes W15, used in 2024, but with the 2026 tires. After this test, he didn’t hide his doubts and criticism towards the Italian company that supplies tires to F1 teams.
The Mercedes driver spoke about how driving with these new tires wasn’t so easy. He added: “With these new tires, we’ve taken a step back; we’ve made the situation worse. It’s natural for that to happen because they’re much narrower.” However, George Russell did place trust in Pirelli’s ability to improve. “We hope they can improve in the coming months.”
Pirelli pointed out that one cannot rely completely on the tests George Russell mentioned. While they are important for understanding how these tires function, the teams will continue testing the new tires in their respective simulators to provide further feedback to Pirelli.
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