George Russell has revealed that Mercedes are putting in a great deal of effort "behind the scenes" to sharpen their race‑start performance ahead of the upcoming Formula 1 round in Miami, scheduled for May. Despite the team’s impressive record this season—four front‑row lockouts across the three Grand Prix events and the Sprint race so far—neither Russell nor his teammate Kimi Antonelli has managed to lead the pack after the first lap. The start has emerged as the Silver Arrows' most conspicuous weakness, even though the car’s overall pace has allowed them to claim victory in the opening three races. The difficulty with the start lies in the precise timing required to launch the car at the optimal moment.
In 2026, Ferrari has held the edge in this area, thanks largely to their smaller turbo unit, which spins up more quickly and gives drivers a broader window to get off the line efficiently. While drivers can rehearse starts during the final minutes of free practice on a Grand Prix weekend, there are no additional sessions dedicated solely to perfecting the launch, making each opportunity crucial.
Russell spoke about these challenges while attending a Pirelli tyre test at the Nürburgring in Germany. He emphasized that, although practice starts are scarce, the team is concentrating on gathering and analysing data to address what he described as their "one significant flaw." "There is a huge amount going on behind the scenes," he told Sky Germany, underscoring the extensive work being done away from the public eye. According to Russell, the team spends countless hours on the simulator, dissecting the data from the first three races and projecting how to improve for the next events.
He highlighted that the upcoming Miami and Montreal weekends will each feature a Sprint race, meaning the pressure to deliver strong starts will be even greater. "It is two sprint races when we come back with Miami and Montreal so it is full gas," he said.
The current tyre test, however, imposes restrictions: no actual race starts are permitted, a rule that applies to all teams during tyre‑testing sessions. "We are here because it is a Pirelli test and a tyre test, we are not allowed to do any starts, that is the same for any team when they do tyre testing," Russell explained.
Consequently, the team must rely on simulated data and the limited on‑track practice they can obtain. Russell elaborated on the broader context of Formula 1’s limited practice opportunities.
"Our sport is difficult because you don't get to practice that much. It is part of the rules that you are not allowed to drive," he noted, referring to the regulatory constraints that limit on‑track testing. He expressed a desire for more hands‑on experience: "Of course, we would love to be out doing loads and loads of starts. We have some ideas of why we have been falling short of the race starts so hopefully we can build on that." In addition to the technical work, the team is also examining driver feedback and the nuances of clutch engagement, torque delivery, and tyre temperature management at the moment of launch.
The Silver Arrows have been experimenting with different clutch bite points and adjusting the electronic launch control settings to find the sweet spot that maximises acceleration without sacrificing tyre grip. These adjustments are being fed back into the simulator models, allowing engineers to test countless scenarios virtually before applying any changes on the track.
The importance of a strong start cannot be overstated in a Sprint format, where the race distance is shorter and there is less time to recover from a poor launch. A sub‑optimal start can relegate a driver to the midfield or worse, compromising the team's overall points haul for the weekend.
Given that Mercedes has already secured three victories despite this vulnerability, the team believes that eliminating the start issue could turn a strong car into an even more dominant force. Looking ahead, Russell remains optimistic. He believes that the combination of data analysis, simulator work, and incremental hardware tweaks will yield measurable improvements by the time the Miami Grand Prix arrives.
"We are working a lot behind the scenes analysing the data," he reiterated, reinforcing the message that the team’s focus is squarely on converting their raw speed into consistent race‑day performance from the very first corner. Fans can watch the Miami Grand Prix, which will also host the season's second Sprint weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. The event is set to run from May 1‑3, and viewers have the option to stream Sky Sports via NOW without a long‑term contract, allowing them to cancel at any time. The anticipation builds as Mercedes aims to turn their behind‑the‑scenes work into tangible results on the track, hoping to finally master the art of the perfect start.