Russell laments ‘boring’ F1 as races hinge on Turn 1

George Russell believes Formula 1 has entered a stale phase in which races are effectively decided by qualifying and the first corner, with tyre longevity and minimal strategy variation limiting real battles on track.

The Mercedes driver, who started fourth and finished sixth in Austin, said Sunday’s United States GP perfectly illustrated the issue.

"Even before the race, I had the feeling that wherever you positioned yourself after the first corner, that's where you'd end up, and unfortunately that's exactly what happened," Russell said.

"Right now, qualifying and the first corner decide the race. There's no tyre degradation. There's only three-tenths of a second between the fastest and slowest cars in the top six, and you normally need at least half a second to make an overtake.

"So if I had finished the first corner in P3, I would have been on the podium, but instead I finished P6 - and that's how I finished. I don't even remember the last two-stop race in F1."

Russell said the lack of varying tactics has drained excitement from the sport. "Formula 1 right now is Q3 and a race to Turn 1," he said. He blamed much of that stagnation on the resilience of Pirelli’s tyres.

"Realistically, you need tyres that allow you to push hard, but that wear out after 15 laps, so you have to make two or three pitstops in a race," he explained. "Ideally, soft tyres should last 12 laps, mediums 15, and hards 20 before suddenly losing performance, but that's easier said than done.

"Pirelli has it tough either way - if the tyres wear too much, people complain that drivers can't push. If they don't wear, the racing's boring."

McLaren’s Lando Norris, who battled Charles Leclerc for second place in Austin, agreed overtaking has become a rare commodity. "I really struggled to get past Charles," Norris said, admitting he isn’t sure whether the sweeping 2026 rule changes will make a real difference.

"I have no idea how it's going to work next year with all the new battery and energy stuff. I'm sure it'll be a lot better just because there's less downforce and less grip.

"The cars won't look anywhere near as cool through Sector 1 - they'll be slower in the corners, but quicker in the straights for a few seconds. So I think the racing will probably be a bit better next year."

Fernando Alonso also expects the 2026 regulations to help, though he cautioned against unrealistic hopes. "A regulation change always aims to make racing more fun and increase overtaking," the Aston Martin driver said.

"Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't, but if there are more overtakes, it will be because of energy management, not the size of the car. Let's hope it's more fun for the fans."]