The gear‑usage data from the opening three‑day pre‑season test in Bahrain provides one of the clearest indications of how dramatically the 2026 Formula 1 power units are reshaping driving technique.
The comparison of the fastest laps from Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes shows that drivers are spending significantly more time in the lowest gears than they did under the previous regulations.
This shift is especially pronounced at Mercedes, and George Russell has offered a detailed explanation for why the new engines demand such an unconventional approach.
The numbers reveal that Mercedes spends 10.11 percent of its fastest lap in first gear and 16.60 percent in second gear, meaning that more than a quarter of the lap is now driven in the two lowest gears. This is a dramatic departure from previous seasons, when first gear was almost never used outside the pit lane.
Russell explained that this behaviour is a direct consequence of the new 50/50 hybrid power units, which require the turbocharger to be kept spinning at high speed to maintain power delivery.
He described the situation by saying, “Usually the first corner is a third‑gear corner in the previous generation. Now, we’re having to use first gear to keep the engine, the revs very high, to keep the turbo spinning.”
He added that this approach feels unnatural, noting, “This is probably the one thing that is quite annoying and isn’t that intuitive.” To illustrate the awkwardness, he compared it to everyday driving, saying it feels like “dropping into first gear at the roundabout to the supermarket.”
Ferrari’s gear‑usage profile stands out for the opposite reason. The team did not spend any time on its fastest lap in first gear and only 3.69 percent in second gear.
This suggests that Ferrari has found a way to manage the new hybrid systems without resorting to the extreme low‑gear behaviour seen at Mercedes. Ferrari’s usage is distributed more evenly across gears three through seven, which may indicate a more stable low‑speed balance or a different strategy for maintaining turbo speed.
Red Bull and McLaren fall between the two extremes. Red Bull spends 4.15 percent of its lap in first gear and 8.94 percent in second gear, while also recording a notably high 16.67 percent usage of eighth gear, which implies strong high‑speed efficiency.
McLaren shows a similar pattern, spending 3.74 percent in first gear and 8.76 percent in second gear, but it records the highest usage of seventh gear at 19.09 percent, suggesting a car that is particularly comfortable in the mid‑to‑high‑speed range.
Russell’s explanation helps clarify why these differences exist. The new power units rely on a strict balance between electric power and sustainable fuel, which means the combustion engine operates at lower average revs than before.
To compensate, drivers must downshift more aggressively to keep the turbocharger spinning and to maintain the electrical deployment needed for acceleration.
Russell acknowledged that while the behaviour is awkward, the potential is enormous, saying, “You can’t argue with the amount of power you have when you get the full 350 kilowatts.” He also expressed confidence that the situation will improve as teams refine their systems, adding, “It’s going to progress a huge amount over the coming months. We’ve got to give it time.”
Taken together, the gear‑usage data and Russell’s comments paint a clear picture of the early 2026 landscape. Drivers are being forced into much lower gears than before, turbo‑management has become a central part of cornering technique, and teams are experimenting with very different approaches to hybrid deployment.
The cars are not yet behaving naturally, but the performance potential is clear, and the coming months will likely bring rapid refinement as teams learn how to extract the most from this radically new generation of Formula 1 machinery.
