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George Russell picked up an unusual injury during Formula One testing, with the Mercedes star going on to require medical assistance. Russell, who finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship last season, has been touted as a potential champion ahead of the 2026 season.

It's one of several question marks heading into the 2026 campaign, given that the new regulations are set to be introduced. But Russell's preparations took an untimely blow as he was seen treating a dead leg after accidentally kicking his own car.

During a video shared by Mercedes on social media, Russell was seen with an ice pack strapped to his leg, indicating the bump must've caused a significant amount of pain. When asked what he'd done, the English driver replied: "Yeah, I was a bit... I kicked the car. It's quite lumpy."

Russell lifted up the ice pack to show a fairly deep cut on his shin, but wasn't too concerned about the potential damage. He continued: "I'll be fine, it'll rub off."

Russell posted some quick times during the recent Barcelona testing, and the 27-year-old is feeling confident ahead of the season opener in March. Speaking at the event in Catalonia, he remarked: "I think this was a very positive test, to be honest.

"We had lots of mileage on the car, which was the main focus of the test. The car feels nice to drive. No major issues, no porpoising - which is pretty good news for all of us, it'll save us a few years on the back. So, all in all, a decent few days."

He continued: "The car so far has been working well, but it's not about how well it works, it's about how quick it goes around the track - and we don't really have an indication of that at the moment. We're sort of in a reasonably good place, but I'm sure things are going to change a lot between now and the next Bahrain test, and I'm sure people will be bringing upgrades to the car. So still, very, very much early days."