Mercedes have encountered one ‘catastrophic’ problem with their 2025 F1 car ahead of Belgian Grand Prix upgrades

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Mercedes haven’t given up trying to improve their 2025 Formula 1 car even with a new set of regulations on the horizon.

The Silver Arrows are braced for a Belgian Grand Prix upgrade which they hope will help to fix some of their cars’ issues.

They sit third in the constructors’ championship, but do have the potential to beat Ferrari to second if they can find some consistent form.

With Red Bull’s decline, Mercedes are now virtually guaranteed to do better than they managed last year in the championship, but they have other worries in the short term too.

Max Verstappen could choose between Red Bull and Mercedes with open seats at both teams heading into 2026.

At the same time, Mercedes face a Kimi Antonelli dilemma and will fear having to drop the young talent after just one year if they do want to sign a superstar driver. It’s a huge decision.

READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya believes he’s now seen a ‘sign’ that suggests Max Verstappen’s move to Mercedes is close

Mercedes face ‘catastrophic’ ineffective upgrade problem ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix

‘A lot of people’ want Verstappen to race at Mercedes in the future, and it could help to reignite their dynasty.

Losing Lewis Hamilton last year was a significant blow from a marketing perspective, as well as on the track.

Russell’s Mercedes deal has reached an ‘impasse’ despite the Briton’s terrific performances at times in 2025.

Worryingly, the Italian edition of Motorsport.com now reports that the team have encountered a ‘catastrophic’ problem with their recent upgrades.

Unfortunately, engineers have been ‘surprised’ by the inconsistency in their results and it’s a worrying sign heading into 2026.

READ MORE: How George Russell might have ‘triggered’ events that led to Red Bull’s Christian Horner decision

Why Mercedes’ driver situation for 2026 is so strange

It’s fairly unusual for a top team like Mercedes to be heading into a new set of regulations without any contracted drivers at the summer break of the season before.

They’re clearly holding out for something, which is why rumours tying them to Verstappen have been so strong.

Otherwise, Russell has earned his extension and has stepped up since Hamilton’s departure, and Antonelli is their big investment in the future. He has given them no reason to abandon him.

At some point, a decision will be made. It’s most likely that their line-up remains the same, but there will be some level of intrigue about what decisions will be made behind the scenes over the next few months.

That includes not only their driver line-up, but also in the factory with their car and engine for next year.