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Jolyon Palmer has warned Mercedes about ‘standing still’ during F1’s development race in 2026 after staff from the Silver Arrows revealed to him that they have ‘barely’ any new upgrades for the Miami Grand Prix.
Following the conclusion of F1’s unplanned five-week break, a multitude of teams have brought new upgrades to the Miami Grand Prix in hopes of bridging the gap between themselves and front-runners Mercedes.
In response to the 45-point gap that Mercedes currently hold over them in the constructors’ standings, Ferrari have brought a swathe of aero upgrades to the Miami paddock that Maranello-based engineers think will flip the ‘script’ of the current campaign.
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Reigning world champions McLaren have done the same. Following a tumultuous first two rounds in 2026, Oscar Piastri’s P2 at Suzuka suggested the Woking-based outfit has a strong package that may have the potential to challenge Mercedes with further refinements.
In light of Max Verstappen’s frustrations with the current campaign, Red Bull have also refused to sit still. Laurent Mekies is hopeful of the RB22’s new configuration returning a smile to the four-time world champion’s face, while also wiping off Toto Wolff’s.
However, F1 pundit Jolyon Palmer has revealed that Mercedes haven’t brought many new parts to Florida at all, and has warned the Brackley-based German constructor against standing idly as their rivals continue to develop.
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Jolyon Palmer warns Mercedes about ‘standing still’ while F1 rivals continue to develop
During F1’s Weekend Warm-Up for the Miami Grand Prix, the former Renault driver revealed what Mercedes personnel disclosed to him upon his arrival inside the paddock.
“Speaking to the guys at Mercedes, they’ve barely brought anything here,” Palmer told his co-hosts, James Hinchliffe and Juan Pablo Montoya.
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“They said to me they think they’ve got that little bit of a buffer, maybe three-tenths, and that might be enough to carry them through this weekend. They are spending more time in the wind tunnel to try to bring a bigger upgrade for Canada.
“We don’t know if that’ll work because they haven’t got a history of bringing parts to the current and understanding it. So that’s for Canada next time out.
“This weekend, they’re thinking this is going to be close. It’s very possible that McLaren and Ferrari can find a few tenths with some new aero parts, because Mercedes are standing still.”
Montoya then offered his thoughts on Brackley’s lack of development for the Miami GP, after having already shared his theory that Mercedes were sandbagging during the initial pre-season tests.
The Colombian believes the upcoming weekend of racing will give him a clearer answer, replying to Palmer’s words with, “I think something interesting there is that this is going to show Mercedes’ hand, how much more they have in reserve.
“Were they putting everything on the table? Do they have a little bit of pace that they could have used more of, and they were like, ‘Oh, we’ll run, not at 90%, but a couple of percentages under what the car can perform, because a lot of times they do that.”
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