George Russell has struggled against Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in 2026, forced to question his driving approach due to the technical formula's unnatural style requirements. At Silverstone and Spa, Russell hit lower peak top speeds than Antonelli on key straights, explained by using fractionally more electrical power to re-accelerate after scrubbing more speed through corners. McLaren's Oscar Piastri faces similar issues. While F1 power units shift from a 55:45 to 58:42 combustion-to-electrical ratio for 2027, Russell believes new Pirelli tyre compounds could promote a more natural driving style.

"I think it's been clear this season that the tyres, front to rear, probably have not been well balanced enough," Russell said in Baku. He noted rear tyres face harder demands due to increased power off corners compared to when tyres were developed with previous-generation power units. Russell referenced Antonio Giovinazzi's recent Imola test in the new car generation, where Giovinazzi was impressed by corner-exit power.

Pirelli's 2011 brief, triggered by the action-packed 2010 Canadian Grand Prix, sought compounds offering strong grip before rapid degradation. The supplier has struggled to balance this target, often overshooting when toughening compounds. Development for 2027 focuses on greater lap-time differences between compounds and improved front-rear balance, though the FIA's concurrent changes complicate the outlook.