Russell reveals front‑wing issue masked Barcelona pace, but confidence in the W17 Is growing ahead of Austria

George Russell says he heads into the Austrian Grand Prix feeling “good” and “confident” after a much‑needed strong weekend in Barcelona — even if a late‑race front‑wing problem prevented him from maximising his result.

Russell admitted that the Spanish Grand Prix weekend was an important reset after what he described as a challenging spell, both through misfortune and his own performance.

“Spain was a weekend I was very happy about on Friday and Saturday because, you know, it’s been a real tough run of form for me, both with things outside of my control but also things within my control.

"It hadn’t been good enough and I went in with a more simple mindset into Barcelona," Russell continued.

That approach paid off immediately, with Russell showing strong pace throughout practice and qualifying: “Really quick in qualifying and over the course of the whole weekend.”

While Russell’s qualifying form was among his best of the season, his race pace faded in the final stint — something he now attributes to a specific technical problem.

“Unfortunately, we had an issue with the front wing in the race, which compromised quite a lot, and Ferrari capitalised," Russell continued.

The issue caused significant oversteer in the closing laps of the 66‑lap race, limiting his ability to defend and ultimately costing him time relative to his former teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Despite the setback, Russell says the Barcelona weekend marked a turning point in his comfort with Mercedes’ 2026 challenger.

“So, you know, I need to keep on making some small evolutions with this new car, with the setup, with the tyres, to get the most out of it. But I’m feeling good, I’m feeling confident and excited to have four races in five weeks.”