Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said that Mercedes still has to push to try to get back at the top of the field before new 2026 rules might change the pecking order again.
After new regulations changed the way teams had to design their cars back in 2022, Mercedes has struggled so far to repeat the great results it had achieved from 2014 up until 2021. The Brakley-based outfit developed a “zero-sidepod” car, which was thought to be incredibly competitive. However, after two seasons, the team has decided to get rid of that concept and design a piece of machinery more similar to all the others on the field, somewhat similar to Red Bull.
Despite being on the back foot compared to Red Bull, Wolff doesn’t want Mercedes “to give up” and just wait for the 2026 rules to come into play. He wants Mercedes to try to jump back on top.
“I don’t want to give up on the recovery and say, ‘Well, let’s wait for 2026, new car, new engine’.
“There are two more important years to go. I want to see it as a testament for the strengths of the team that we are capable to recover and race for championships. That’s our clear objective.”
However, Wolff wants to be realistic and admits that it is going to be difficult for the team to get back on top.
“Looking at the odds, very difficult. Looking at the performances of other teams, and how Aston Martin has done over the winter [from 2022 into 2023], McLaren recovered a second with an upgrade they expected to come in at 0.25 seconds… There is a sweet spot that you need to find and that unlocks more potential.
“I think the biggest contributor is that the drivers start to have a car that they can trust, which they can’t at the moment [with the outgoing Mercedes W14].”