Mercedes believes that the fight for the 2026 Formula 1 championship could change after the season resumes, with the Dutch Grand Prix marking the restart of activities after the traditional summer break.
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Leading the constructors’ and drivers’ championships, the German team is having a positive season as it seeks its first double title since 2020. However, in recent rounds, rivals have closed the gap and increased pressure on Mercedes.
Simone Resta, the team’s technical director, stated that the second half of the championship usually presents a new dynamic in the title fight: “History shows us that the championship always changes after the summer break,” he told the Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show. “Pressure increases on the teams in the lead, but it also increases on the teams trying to catch them. The environment becomes more intense, and every result carries greater weight.”
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Mercedes currently has a 72-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship. In the drivers’ standings, Kimi Antonelli leads with a 50-point gap over Lewis Hamilton. Even with a comfortable situation, Resta emphasized that the team will need to maintain performance under pressure in the final stretch of the season.
“That’s where you really see the strength and resilience of an organization,” he said. “It’s where teams show if they can handle the pressure and keep performing when the stakes get higher. I’m very interested to see this phase of the season unfold, because it’s often where championships are ultimately won or lost,” he concluded.
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