Photo: RacePictures.

Wolff takes firm stance on whether Mercedes is the real deal for 2026

11:17, 15 Dec

Updated: 11:18, 15 Dec

byTobia Elia

Toto Wolff was cautious when asked whether Mercedes will be the favorite for 2026, as it was at the start of the hybrid era.

“We are half glass, half empty people, never half full”

- Toto Wolff

When asked how confident Mercedes feels about the rumors positioning them as favorites ahead of the next season, Wolff replied on the Beyond the Grid podcast: “Never confident. We are half glass, half empty people, never half full.”

The Austrian believes that if Mercedes were indeed to have the best power unit, the first team to beat would be the reigning world champions, McLaren.

“It starts with the enemy in the house. McLaren has been the better team this year with a Mercedes power unit, so if the power unit were to be superior, which we never feel entitled to say so, then you've got to beat Williams, you've got to beat McLaren and you've got to beat Alpine, as a matter of fact.

Photo: Race Pictures

“Some of them will have had more development time in the wind tunnel because they've not been placed very well in the Constructors. Some will have come with innovation that maybe we haven't spotted, so, you can't take anything for granted, even if our power unit, the Mercedes power unit, was the strongest.”

Finally, Wolff also believes that rumors, even if favorable in this case, can always backfire and end up harming the team, and as such, Mercedes does not intend to be carried away in any way.

“These rumour mills are always dangerous, because someone somewhere in another team or another power unit manufacturer, fuel supplier, will think 'We like to position you guys in a favorite role, but we are coming. That's why we are not being carried away by anything, any gossip that's been discussed at the hairdresser.”

Wolff doubles down on 400 km/h claim as 2026 F1 overhaul looms

Focusing on the next generation of cars earlier this season, the Mercedes team principal stated, “If you were to deploy all the energy on a single straight, you could make those cars go 400 kilometers an hour. I don't know if somebody got afraid by it, but we could.”

That statement sparked discussion throughout the paddock and led FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis to clarify that cars will not actually reach those speeds next year.

On the same podcast, Wolff later elaborated on the context and reasoning behind his remarks.

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