Russell says good riddance to F1’s ‘brutal’ ground-effect cars

George Russell won’t shed a single tear when Formula 1’s current ground-effect beasts are finally put out to pasture at the end of the 2025 season.

The Mercedes driver will depart the era with a sense of relief, describing the machines as physically punishing and recalling just how extreme the designs’ porpoising issues have been for drivers.

With the 2026 regulations promising a major shift in aerodynamics, Russell is candid about why he won’t miss this generation of cars which have been nothing short of torture devices dressed in carbon fibre

Asked ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix whether he was ready to bid farewell to the current rules, Russell didn’t hold back.

“Oh yeah, to be honest,” he quipped. “They are brutal cars, to be honest. We've got a rig that does simulated replays of a lap, replaying the suspension movements from the chassis side.

“Lewis and I wanted to put one of our chief designers in the car to do a replay of Baku to show how aggressive the porpoising was. And the health and safety officer said it was too dangerous! So it just gives a bit of perspective.”

The Briton’s stark account highlights just how punishing the current ground-effect cars have been, even if the comfort level has gradually improved.

Since the 2022 regulations introduced the ground-effect concept to generate downforce, drivers have been subjected to relentless bouncing – a phenomenon that quickly raised safety concerns.

A Physical Toll on Drivers

Russell explained the full extent of the strain these cars put on a driver’s body.

“You're driving around for an hour and a half, you're shaking all over the place. Your back, your body, your eyes. I remember the first year I went to Vegas, I couldn't see the brake marker boards because the car was hitting the ground so aggressively.

“I was doing 240 miles an hour, I just couldn't, you couldn't see it. I spoke with a few drivers and half the grid was the same.

“So yeah, glad that we're moving away from this.”

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The upcoming 2026 cars will see a shift away from using the floor as the primary source of downforce, moving toward an aerodynamic philosophy that resembles the pre-2022 era.

With this, the focus will lean more heavily on the new hybrid powertrain, offering drivers a smoother and more manageable cockpit experience.

For Russell, the end of the current era means not just a change in racing dynamics, but also a welcome reprieve for the body – and a chance to finally drive without being shaken to the bone by the car beneath him.

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