George Russell Suffers Freak Injury During Mercedes F1 Shakedown
Mercedes driver George Russell has revealed that he picked up a minor but painful injury during pre-season running after an unusual encounter with his own Formula 1 car.
The incident occurred last week during Mercedes’ private shakedown test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where Russell was driving the all-new W17 for the first time. The session marked Mercedes’ early preparations for the 2026 season, which will be contested under a completely new set of technical regulations.
Despite the freak injury, the overall mood in the Mercedes camp was overwhelmingly positive. The Brackley-based team completed more than 500 laps across the three-day shakedown, an impressive figure given how early the car is in its development cycle. Russell and rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli both spoke optimistically throughout the week, highlighting strong reliability and encouraging early performance from the W17.
Mercedes also topped the unofficial timing screens on two of their three allocated running days in Barcelona. While no official lap times were released — as the shakedown was held behind closed doors without F1’s standard timing system — the pace shown by the Silver Arrows has only added fuel to growing paddock speculation that they could be well positioned heading into the new regulation era.
However, amid the positive headlines, Russell revealed a bizarre moment that left him nursing a cut to his leg. In a video shared by Mercedes on Instagram, the British driver was seen sitting with an ice pack strapped to his shin. When asked what had happened, Russell sheepishly admitted: “Yeah, I was a bit… I kicked the car.”
The clip then cut to footage showing the exact moment of the incident, with Russell accidentally striking part of the W17 while moving around the garage. Laughing off the situation, he explained: “It’s quite lumpy,” before lifting the ice pack to reveal a fairly deep cut on his shin.
“I’ll be fine, it’ll rub off,” Russell added, clearly downplaying the injury and reassuring fans that the issue would not affect his preparation for the season ahead.
While the incident was light-hearted, it served as a reminder of how unforgiving Formula 1 machinery can be — even when stationary. Fortunately for Mercedes, the injury was minor and did not interrupt Russell’s on-track running during the test.
The Barcelona shakedown was the first real glimpse of how teams are shaping up under the radical 2026 regulations, which include major changes to power units, aerodynamics, and energy deployment. Although the lap times from the test were never made public, Mercedes’ smooth running and strong mileage have backed up winter rumours suggesting they may have gained an early advantage over their rivals.
Still, both teams and drivers are keen to stress that it is far too early to draw firm conclusions. The next phase of pre-season testing in Bahrain is expected to provide a much clearer picture of the competitive order.
Russell and the W17 will head to the Bahrain International Circuit next month for the first of two official three-day test sessions. The opening test runs from February 11 to 13 and will feature limited live television coverage. Crucially, lap times will be officially recorded and released through Formula 1’s data systems, offering the first reliable benchmark of 2026 performance.
A second Bahrain test will follow from February 18 to 20, with full live coverage available on F1TV and Sky Sports F1 for UK viewers. Fans will be able to watch every minute of on-track action as teams push their new cars harder ahead of the season opener.
Russell’s focus will then shift fully to racing when the 2026 Formula 1 season gets underway in Melbourne. The Australian Grand Prix will open the campaign on March 8, with the race scheduled for 3pm local time. Practice and qualifying will take place on the Friday and Saturday of that weekend, marking the start of what promises to be one of the most intriguing seasons in recent F1 history.
Despite a bruised shin and an embarrassing moment caught on camera, Russell appears firmly on track — and if Mercedes’ early form is anything to go by, both driver and team could be ones to watch in 2026.
