Villeneuve makes bold 2026 prediction amid alleged Mercedes engine advantage

09:53, 11 Aug

byTobia Elia

Jacques Villeneuve doesn’t believe Mercedes will have the same advantage in 2026 that they did in 2014 with the introduction of hybrid power units, and thinks the other teams won’t be caught off guard this time.

There are still a few months to go before 2026, the year when Formula 1 will undergo one of its biggest technical revolutions in recent years, but excitement is already running high to see what the new cars and power units will be like.

As has been known for some time, the new engines will be radically different from those we've seen over the past decade, featuring a 50/50 split between electric and internal combustion power.

This change is set to inevitably reshape the competitive order, especially when combined with other modifications such as the return of active aerodynamics.

Drivers and teams fear that Mercedes' dominance seen with the start of the hybrid era in 2014 could repeat itself next year, given the Brackley team's extensive expertise on the power unit side.

Villeneuve dismisses theory of Mercedes PU advantage for 2026

However, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve does not share this fear, believing that this time the teams won’t be caught off guard like they were 11 years ago.

“In 2014, Mercedes had a five-year advantage over its rivals and had more powerful engines ready in the garage by the time others started catching up with their power units,'' he told a betting site.

''Because that happened then, many now expect the same to happen again in 2026. But I don’t believe the other manufacturers will be caught off guard this time.''

''Everyone now starts from a solid understanding of how these power units work, so why should Mercedes be able to make another big leap forward? The technology is the same, just applied differently.''

''The rumors about Mercedes’ engine superiority are just that — rumors. Nobody really knows what’s happening behind the scenes in the various design departments.''

Finally, he added: ''In any case, this power unit regulation doesn’t seem likely to last long, and hopefully, no single engine will be vastly superior to the others. Because such an advantage tends to last a long time and isn’t as quickly recoverable as improvements in chassis or aerodynamics.”