The head of Mercedes F1, Toto Wolff, conceded that assessing the readiness of competing teams for Formula 1’s upcoming 2026 regulatory changes presents a significant challenge, noting that the team’s current outlook differs considerably from its preparations for 2014, which marked the start of their highly successful era.
In its existing configuration, the team based in Brackley has navigated two significant shifts in regulations. They perfectly adapted to the rule overhaul in 2014, securing eight consecutive constructors’ championships, yet struggled significantly when new regulations were introduced once more in 2022.
Currently, the sport is on the verge of a third substantial transformation as the series prepares for its next phase in 2026. Formula 1 in the upcoming year will be shaped by fresh regulations introducing active aerodynamic elements for both front and rear wings, reduced chassis dimensions, and power units operating with an equal distribution of power from internal combustion and electrical sources.
With the conclusion of the existing regulatory framework at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the head of Mercedes cautioned against drawing parallels between the preparations for 2026 and those undertaken in 2014.
“Arriving at 2014, I had a positive sense even during the winter, as we were the initial team to operate a complete car dyno,” Wolff commented. “Our engine demonstrated greater dependability than what appeared to be the case for other competitors. Furthermore, it was evident that on the first day of testing, while others completed few laps, we completed many. The pattern repeated on the second day.”
“Therefore, I would assert that the situations are not comparable. Another factor is that the competitive landscape of the grid is significantly more intense now compared to prior years.”
Mercedes was “more cheerful than today” at the close of the 2013 season
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Despite Wolff acknowledging that Mercedes was in a “more optimistic mood than currently” at the conclusion of the 2013 season in Brazil – having secured second position in the F1 championship by a mere six points over Ferrari – he stated that his team was “progressing as planned” with its preparations for the forthcoming season.
“It is exceptionally challenging to forecast outcomes, as we have established objectives that we are on course to achieve,” Wolff clarified. “However, whether these objectives were sufficiently aspirational, and if their prioritization was accurate, will only become clear in time.”
This future is drawing near swiftly, with F1 scheduled to conduct a private testing session in Barcelona between January 26-30. Although Mercedes has not yet revealed the launch date for its 2026 racing car, Red Bull is set to be the inaugural constructor to unveil its new machine at an event planned for January 15.
“The timeframe is quite short, approximately eight weeks,” he remarked following the last race of 2025. “It’s quite unnerving to vocalize. This morning marked the first occasion I woke up thinking, ‘I don’t feel like going to a racing circuit’.”
At present, he asserts that the team will exert “every possible effort to deliver a vehicle and power unit that possess sufficient competitiveness.”
Nevertheless, he refrained from making predictions regarding the team’s standing at the start of the Australian race, cautioning that he leans towards being a “pessimist” concerning his team’s prospects – particularly given their initial struggles with the 2022 regulatory cycle following a period of extensive supremacy in F1.
