Mercedes are the large winners from F1 testing and their rocket ship makes George Russell favorite for the 2026 world championship… so will the Silver Arrows high brass lastly present Britain’s greatest some respect?

We should get one thing ironed out as we approach the new Formula One season. The Mercedes car, at least on early evidence from testing, is a rocket ship.

It suggests George Russell will be crowned world champion in 2026.

The possibility might even help pull off the minor miracle of Mercedes appreciating their star asset’s superb talent. Despite being without a title to his name, he is the best British driver of the current crop.

That is no disrespect to Lewis Hamilton, one of the greats of motor racing and beyond, but he is on the decline. Nor to Lando Norris, whose achievement in getting the job done last year, with no less than Max Verstappen on his tail, means he will never have a sporting regret.

Nor to the mercurial Ollie Bearman, who is making strong claims at Haas to replace Hamilton at Ferrari when the old maestro rides off to his next life in Los Angeles, whenever that may be, with or without Kim Kardashian, his latest reported girlfriend as of this week.

But based on the indications of last year, Russell is the track’s supreme British operator. We can revise that. His dominance goes back further.

Despite being without a title to his name, George Russell is the best British driver of the current crop – and bookies’ favourite to win the 2026 world championship

After a less than stellar 2025 (pictured), the Mercedes car for 2026, at least on early evidence from testing, is a rocket ship

In two of his three seasons going up against Hamilton at Mercedes, who prevailed? Russell; though Hamilton in the middle year. In their last season together in 2024, Russell led Hamilton by a long way in the standings, and asphyxiated the past master in qualifying.

Or you can summon as compelling evidence Russell’s first race for Mercedes, when Hamilton went down with Covid at the end of 2020, in Bahrain. Cramped into a car too small for his 6ft 2in frame against Hamilton’s 5ft 8in – Lewis, the perfect size for a driver, by the way – he nearly won on his Silver Arrows debut, having been parachuted into the seat from Williams at the last moment.

Yet Mercedes’ top brass have been reluctant to embrace Russell’s talents as they ought to have done. They are grudging when he wins. In Canada last year, they were as delighted that their Italian teenage protege Kimi Antonelli had secured his first podium – third place – and a bit inhibited in their response to the race winner: Russell.

They literally uncorked the champagne in their hospitality home in the paddock, but, based on conversations, their glee was at least lavished on Antonelli as much as Russell.

This reaction is a pattern within the team’s higher echelons, as if Russell is merely an interregnum between Hamilton and Antonelli. They hold their noses, and they messed him about last year in finally agreeing a new deal after protracted negotiations.

Team principal Toto Wolff, whose record of success cannot be disputed, kept Russell in his contract talks, dangling him along for far longer than the facts of performance demanded.

Wolff always has an eye on signing Verstappen, though that is understandable, for he is perhaps the best of all time. But, still, there was a whiff of ingratitude towards Russell and all he had contributed to Mercedes, a seriously perplexing reticence given that he is one of theirs – a junior driver from their academy ranks made good. He was hurt by their slight, but he said nothing to rock the boat.

Team principal Toto Wolff (right) kept Russell in his contract talks last year, dangling him along for far longer than the facts of performance demanded

The Mercedes top brass sometimes act as if they view Russell as a stop-gap between Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli (right), the young Italian whose achievements they seem more keen to celebrate

Anyway, a significant regulation change comes in this year with new engines and cars, which are smaller and nimbler. After the one behind-closed-doors test in Barcelona, Mercedes seem to hold the edge. McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull, doing well with their new in-house engine, are all strong, too.

Public testing comes in Bahrain over the next few weeks, ahead of the season-opener in Melbourne on March 8.

The early evidence makes Russell the bookies’ favourite – 9/4; get your money on fast! Speaking at Mercedes’ launch yesterday, Russell said: ‘I feel ready to fight for a world championship, and whether we have that tag as favourites above us or not, it doesn’t change my approach one single bit. It doesn’t bring any more pressure.

‘We have only driven the car for three days, but as Toto said, “It doesn’t look like it is a turd”, which is a bonus. And in the early days you know when it could be a really bad car, and we don’t believe it is.’

This, in truth, was an understatement. Very early signs, yes, but, as we were saying, they reinforce Russell’s status as favourite for his first title.