Toto Wolff accused of a 'lie' about Mercedes' plans

While McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull Racing have implemented many upgrades to their cars in recent months, it has been relatively quiet at Mercedes. Unlike the competition, there was one major update package, and then things went quiet again. According to Toto Wolff, little can be expected from Mercedes in the near future as well.

In Zandvoort, he cited the budget cap — which limits how much teams can spend per season — as the main reason for not opting for a constant stream of updates. At the same time, Wolff will also see that McLaren and Ferrari are getting closer and closer. McLaren is even considered by Andrea Kimi Antonelli to be the fastest team at the moment.

With nearly half a season to go, a further surge, particularly from Lando Norris, could have major consequences for Antonelli’s (and Mercedes’) title ambitions. Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, therefore does not believe that Mercedes will stop making changes to the car that has proven successful.

“I’d love to believe you, but I actually don’t,” the Italian told, among others, GPblog in Zandvoort. “And that’s because all teams are getting extra financial room within the budget cap thanks to the 2027 power unit regulations. If I’m not mistaken, it’s about three million that you can use in the 2026 reporting for the budget cap calculation.”

So if Toto Wolff claims otherwise? “I’m almost certain they will come with upgrades. Of course, it would be nice if they didn’t, but I don’t even want to think about that.”