Mercedes is expected to arrive at the Canadian GP with the first major upgrade package for the W17 in the 2026 Formula 1 season. The team’s expectation is to extend the technical advantage built at the start of the championship and respond to the rivals’ progress in recent stages.
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Even leading the championship with Kimi Antonelli and accumulating wins with George Russell, the Brackley team understands that the scenario can change quickly with the evolution of competitors. Therefore, Montreal was chosen as the ideal moment to introduce deeper changes to the car.
The package is expected to yield about 0.3 seconds per lap and includes significant changes to the aerodynamics. Mercedes worked on a new airflow configuration, starting with the front wing, as well as changes to the carbon covers of the front suspension and the floor of the W17.
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The team also focused on two problems identified in the first races: excess weight and inconsistent starts. Therefore, Mercedes developed a lighter gearbox and other solutions to bring the car closer to the minimum regulatory weight, which would help in using ballast to improve the car’s balance.
Starts also became an internal priority after recurring difficulties in the early stages of the season. Toto Wolff has already described this point as “unacceptable,” while Antonelli lost positions in different races despite strong qualifying performance. The expectation is that the updates in Montreal will consolidate Mercedes as the main force on the grid in 2026.
