George Russell knows Mercedes have got a package!

Now the eight-time F1 Champions may not have had a strong test in Bahrain with several reliability issues; those were not serious, and Kimi Antonelli did finish that first test in the desert venue fastest with Russell second fastest.

And while testing lap times are not something to go by at this point in the season, Mercedes have all the reasons to be confident in their 2026 package.

However, Russell and his boss Toto Wolff have been heaping praise on their rivals Red Bull Racing, who have impressed with their first-ever in-house power unit, which is propelling their RB22 as well as Racing Bulls' VCARB03.

"The Mercedes looks very strong," former F1 driver Johnny Herbert claimed. "Mercedes still seems to be the one, I think, is just quietly going about their day."

The Briton went on, claiming Russell, who is hoping to mount a serious Title fight in 2026, is just putting up a smokescreen with his statements about Red Bull Racing.

Herbert said: "George Russell once again seems to be deflecting from Mercedes and talking about the other teams. That, to me, feels as if you have a competitive package, and George knows they've got a package!

"The game has always been played in winter testing," he went on. "The big teams never really show their cards, because they don't want to show how quick they are, understandably, because then that makes everybody else realize they've got to work doubly hard to get closer to them.

"It's something Mercedes have done very well historically," he pointed out. "I expect them to be very much in control of what they have put together. I think they're in a very good place. I still believe they have the car that is going to be the car to beat when we get to Australia."

However, Mercedes are currently in the spotlight due to their engine compression ratio controversy, as they seem to have found a way to bypass the testing method—done at ambient temperature—with the ratio increasing when their engine is running to 18:1 as opposed to the mandated 16:1 in the rulebook.

"This so-called compression issue is not an issue for me," Herbert stated. "I think it's just very clever. I remember the F-Duct, which McLaren did many years ago. That was just a wonderful, clever piece of technology. And then it got banned.

"Why?!! It wasn't dangerous in any way. It's just an amazing piece of technology. I hope nothing happens to Mercedes from the FIA.

"I hope they tell other teams they need to up their game rather than be dragged down," the winner of three Grands Prix maintained.

Mercedes' rivals have been lobbying for the FIA to change their testing procedure of the engine compression ratios.

With it being impossible to modify the engine in a short time, such a scenario could spell disaster for Mercedes and all their customer teams because that would simply mean they will not be on the grid of the opening race in Melbourne.

But Herbert commented: "I don't quite see how the FIA going to come up with a rule that changes their advantage because of the expansion that you have with metals within a combustion engine.

"I don't know how you can just minimize what happens because I'm sure they're all different anyway. They're all going to heat up in different ways.

"It's very difficult to be able to specify the minimum and maximum that a combustion engine can change with that heat cycle that it goes through. You can rest assured every other team is trying to replicate what they know that Mercedes are doing or have done but they just can't.

"That takes time," he warned. "Other teams are always going to be behind the development curve with that technology. It's a technology which potentially will be very useful down the line for combustion engines on the road.

"I don't think Formula 1 should be stopped from doing it. Because I remember when Ross Brawn was involved in F1; he was saying the combustion engine still has a life. So, let's make it as good as it possibly can be.

"But it does seem Mercedes are in a very good place," he reckoned. "I'm not 100% sure about the performance of the Ferrari, although Lewis said that he was happy with the feelings that he was getting from the car, which is a positive thing."

As for Red Bull Racing, whom Mercedes have been talking up all this time, Herbert seemed impressed with what they have delivered in their first attempt as F1 power unit manufacturers with Ford.

"I think Red Bull have done a fantastic job with the Red Bull Power Ford unit," Herber said. "They've been very up there with the times, but I think they've still got more in their pocket.

"The Red Bull has probably surprised everybody with its reliability. I know there was a lot of talk that they were very much behind the curve. But it does seem as if they're in a good place now.

"Have they actually got enough full power when it's needed when we go to qualifying? We don't really know. But the first signs are actually good.

"You always know Red Bull don't play their cards generally when they goes testing, nor do Mercedes or even McLaren," Herbert, a veteran of 161 grands prix, concluded. (Source: Snabbare)