Toto Wolff against Mercedes ‘world dominance’ in F1 2026

Still viewed as the F1 2026 title favourites by many, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff would like his squad right there in the championship fight, but “world dominance” is not his desire.

Wolff feels that the right “balance” is needed for the good of the sport, and with the direction which Formula 1 has taken, pointing to the cost cap, Wolff believes that this correct balance should remain present.

Mercedes F1 dominance not Toto Wolff’s ‘perspective’

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With revamped chassis and engine regulations in effect for F1 2026, anticipation continues to build, with the first official pre-season test in Bahrain getting underway from 11 February.

The closed-doors Barcelona shakedown at the end of January offered some clues on where the teams and engine manufacturers are at, with updates emerging through unofficial sources.

Mercedes allegedly completed the most laps of any team with 500 across its three days, doing little to hush the buzz surrounding the Silver Arrows.

Mercedes embarked on a record-breaking run the last time that Formula 1 changed engines. The introduction of hybrids saw Mercedes reel off eight consecutive Constructors’ Championship wins between 2014-21. In that time seven Drivers’ titles were also claimed by Mercedes drivers.

But, Wolff, the Mercedes team principal and co-owner, is not rubbing his hands together at the thought of opening up a new era of all-conquering Mercedes dominance.

It was put to Wolff, by PlanetF1.com and others, that he would like Mercedes to dominate Formula 1 in an ideal world, but as a team shareholder, must think of the bigger picture, of Formula 1’s overall health, which would benefit from strong competition at the front.

Wolff replied: “Maybe someone that is on a limited contract would see it you want world dominance and win 24 races of 24, and make it the most successful campaign that any team has ever had.

“But, that’s not my perspective.

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“I want to quote someone that I respect a lot that said to me once, ‘We would like to win both championships in the last race, in the last corner, to have an exciting season, to provide good entertainment and excitement for fans and supporters.’ And that’s a balance you need to strike right.

“But you know how Formula 1 has developed, is that most teams work on equal equipment under the same cost cap. So that’s why those big performance swings, or performance differences, I just don’t see it now.

“Obviously, you look at the newcomer or at a smaller team, yeah, there might be some challenges, but other than that, I think it will be much more balanced.”

The two Bahrain pre-season tests take place between 11-13 and 18-20 February, before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 8 March.

Additional reporting by Mat Coch

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