Lando Norris
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The current era of Formula 1 is about to come to an end at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but Mercedes and every other team are hard at work ahead of next season’s regulation change.
McLaren wrapped up the constructors’ title at the Singapore Grand Prix, but Abu Dhabi is set to deliver a thrilling conclusion to the drivers’ championship.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff will gladly say farewell to the ground-effect era after watching the dominance established by Lewis Hamilton ebb away.
George Russell has had a phenomenal campaign, which has only been good enough for P4 in the standings, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli has impressed with three podiums in his rookie season.
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The upcoming regulation changes will see a drastic revolution in the power units being built by each manufacturer and a completely new aerodynamic system to prepare for.
There have been whispers in the paddock about Mercedes’ potential advantage going into 2026.
Max Verstappen isn’t convinced by what people are saying about Mercedes, but journalists Ben Hunt and Rebecca Clancy think the Brackley-based team might have given away that the rumours about their potential advantage might be true.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Mercedes staff are ‘immediately’ shutting down talk over 2026 rule change advantage
Hunt was speaking on the Inside the Piranha Club podcast, and he said: “I think, coming into this point of the season, the team that can feel most proud and content would be Mercedes.
“They’ve nailed down their driver line-up; it took forever to do it. They’ve got two very good drivers, who are performing.
“If you listen to the rumours, the engine’s going to be good. The only question mark really is the chassis side of things, which has been their Achilles heel for the last couple of years and the porpoising and all the problems.
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“Ultimately, Toto Wolff, who’s made a bit of money on the side as well, selling some shares, should be super happy coming into this winter period knowing that all the ingredients are there, everyone’s performing in the right way, you’ve got a bit of form.
“He probably doesn’t want the season to stop, to be fair. I think that they can be entirely satisfied with where they’re at at the moment.”
Clancy then suggested: “I think the rumours about Mercedes, like you say, are probably true because every time you talk to Mercedes about it, they shut you down immediately.
“Which is always quite funny. I have a sneaky suspicion this time next year, we’ll be talking about George Russell being in the hunt for world champion.”
READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 CEO and team principal Toto Wolff
Mercedes set to play a crucial role in 2025 title decider before Formula 1 rule change
There’s one race left before the winter break and pre-season testing, when fans will discover whether the rumours about Mercedes’ 2026 car are true.
Russell and Antonelli have both shown in recent races that they’re more than capable of challenging for podiums and victories under the right circumstances.
Make one BOLD prediction for the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi!
With Lando Norris needing to finish third in Abu Dhabi to secure the drivers’ championship, if either of the Silver Arrows cars has a strong weekend, then he could be in real danger of missing out to Max Verstappen or Oscar Piastri.
Red Bull are hoping Mercedes can disrupt McLaren at the upcoming race to help Verstappen secure the ultimate comeback.
Mercedes and Red Bull haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but Wolff’s interest in signing Verstappen in the future could create one last twist in what has been a fascinating season.
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