Mercedes ‘out of step’ as Toto Wolff confirms ‘clear development plan’
Mercedes leads both championships, but Toto Wolff is not getting carried away.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has warned that both F1 2026 championships will come down to development and execution on race weekends, having “left points on the table” in the first half of the year.
Both Kimi Antonelli and George Russell suffered power unit-related retirements in the first half of the season, while Ferrari and McLaren have earned race wins as Mercedes’ advantage has ebbed away in recent races.
Toto Wolff explains what Mercedes must improve to win both titles
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There is still a hefty points lead in both championship standings as the season resumes, with Antonelli leading the drivers’ tally by 50 points and Mercedes sitting 72 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ tally.
With reliability and upgrade potential set to be further tested in the second half of the season, Wolff knows Mercedes cannot take its rivals lightly as the season gets back underway.
McLaren and Ferrari have both hinted at a continuation of their respective upgrade plans once the season gets going again, and while Mercedes is going to bring developments of its own, Wolff acknowledged those behind have reeled in the team’s early advantage.
“We have left points on the table, our rivals have reduced the performance gap, and we know the second half of the year will demand more from us than the first,” Wolff said ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.
“The championships will be decided by execution and the rate of development we can bring to the car across the next 12 races.
“Whilst we are slightly out of step with upgrades compared to our rivals, we have more performance to unlock and a clear development plan to do so.
“Zandvoort has been a unique challenge since its return. It is a difficult track to master, the fans create an incredible atmosphere, and it has become a race that the teams and drivers look forward to.
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“We have come close but never won there in the modern era. This is our final opportunity to change that, and that’s a challenge we would like to meet.”
Mercedes’ only grand prix victory around Zandvoort came in 1955, when Argentine great Juan Manuel Fangio took victory ahead of his teammate Stirling Moss.
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