Wolff stunned by Red Bull progress as Mercedes plans major Canadian GP move

The Mercedes team principal, whose outfit extended its strong start to the campaign with another controlled victory for Kimi Antonelli, reflected on the development strides made by rivals ahead of the upcoming race in Quebec. Wolff highlighted McLaren’s significant progress after a strong upgrade package, while also pointing to Red Bull Racing as the standout surprise following their dramatic step forward since Miami.

“We're only at the beginning of this new regulation cycle, and the development curve is very steep, so we expected McLaren, with a significant update package, to gain even half a second. I have to say that Red Bull was a big surprise because they made a huge step forward, going from more than a second behind the leader to being right there at the front, fighting with Verstappen,” Wolff stated to Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Austrian also stressed that Mercedes will continue pushing to strengthen their position at the top of the 2026 standings, with further upgrades planned for Canada.

“We'll also bring developments in Canada, but I think it's normal throughout this year to see performances change from race to race,” Wolff added.

Compared to their rivals, Mercedes arrived at the Miami Grand Prix with relatively limited upgrades. However, with further improvements expected for Canada, much of the current focus has also shifted towards the internal battle between teammates Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

Wolff also commented on George Russell’s recent struggles compared to Antonelli, who currently leads the drivers’ standings. Russell, widely viewed as a title contender heading into 2026, has seen his early momentum fade, while Antonelli has emerged as the form driver with three consecutive wins.

While Antonelli continues to excel, Russell has endured a tougher spell, going two races without a podium. Wolff acknowledged the contrasting form between his drivers, noting Antonelli’s consistency on race weekends while backing Russell to recover his performance level.

The points gap between the pair now stands at 20 after Russell finished fourth in Miami. At the Florida race, Antonelli took victory while Russell crossed the line fourth, 43 seconds adrift.

Russell has also spoken about his recent dip in form in comparison to his teammate. Reflecting on his underwhelming run of results, the 28-year-old praised Antonelli’s performances but insisted he retains full confidence in his own ability. He admitted he is going through a difficult spell but remains optimistic about turning things around at the Canadian Grand Prix.

“He [Antonelli] is a fantastic driver and has been exceptionally quick since day one. He’s won all of the championships as a youngster. I’ve still got confidence in myself and have also been there. I’ve not forgotten how to drive. It’s just a little bit of a tricky run, but we are four races down, a long way to go, and I think we will reassess things over the next few weeks,” Russell said to Sky Sports.

Last time out at the Canadian Grand Prix, Russell claimed victory ahead of Max Verstappen. Antonelli, meanwhile, secured his maiden Formula 1 podium finish at the Quebec race after fending off both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, before Norris collided with Piastri in the closing stages of the race.

In the 2024 season as well, Russell finished on the podium at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, behind Verstappen, who won the race ahead of then-title rival Norris.