Toto Wolff rejects the ‘word in the paddock’ about Mercedes’ 2026 F1 car amid Max Verstappen pursuit

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Toto Wolff has shot down claims that Mercedes’ new engine, which is currently in development for the beginning of the 2026 F1 season, is superior to that of their competitors.

The 2026 season will see a vast number of changes being made to what we currently see on track during race weekends. Active aerodynamics and a reduced width of the cars will be some visual changes we’ll see.

However, the biggest and, arguably, most important change we’ll see will be the major overhaul to the power unit, which will now be fuelled by 100% sustainable fuels. The electrical power of the engine has also been greatly increased, equating to around 50% of the engine’s output when they hit the track.

Mercedes are speculated to be the frontrunner for the 2026 championship when the new regulations come into effect. This sparked rumours of Max Verstappen joining Mercedes next season due to his current unhappiness at Red Bull.

The move now looks unlikely to happen as we head into the second half of the year, although Verstappen hasn’t yet confirmed where he will be driving.

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Toto Wolff doesn’t want to speak too soon on Mercedes’ 2026 chances

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the conclusion of FP1 at the Belgian Grand Prix, Martin Brundle asked Toto Wolff if the ‘word in the paddock’ about Mercedes ‘acing’ the development of their 2026 engine is true, to which the Austrian replied, “The moment you think that, you’re going to be caught out massively.

“I don’t know where we are. We’ve set ourselves targets and we’re coming along with the energy gain and the combustion engine. We don’t know where we are relative to the other [teams].”

At the end of May, George Russell expressed a similar sentiment to Wolff, stating that all of the ‘positivity’ surrounding the performance of the Mercedes power unit is just ‘noise, not facts’.

He went on to state that without knowing anything about what Mercedes’ competitors are cooking up in their own engine divisions, it’s impossible to tell if their engine will be better or not.

The anticipation ahead of the 2026 season is already massive. Not knowing who will emerge as championship candidates until at least pre-season testing in Bahrain will be something to keep a close eye on.

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Why does the F1 paddock think Mercedes are ‘acing’ the new regulations?

The reason for Mercedes popping up in conversations about who will get the 2026 regulations right is down to their superiority following the last engine overhaul in 2014.

That season saw the entrance of the turbo-hybrid era in F1, and Mercedes began it with pure domination, snatching eight consecutive constructors’ championships in the process.

Verstappen previously expressed his desire to drive a Mercedes-powered F1 car at some point in his career, and was ‘convinced’ at the beginning of 2025 that the German team would be superior once the new regulations come into effect next season.

Former Haas boss Guenther Steiner has shared his doubts over whether Mercedes are certain to be frontrunners next season. The Italian noted that just because they got the regulations right before, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will do it again the next time of asking.