Mercedes will make its first major update to the W17 in the 2026 Formula 1 season this weekend, during the Canadian GP in Montreal. The decision comes after McLaren gained performance in the previous round and appeared as a potential second force.
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The team led by Toto Wolff started the championship dominating, with pole position and victory in the first four races. The highlight is the Italian Kimi Antonelli, who won three consecutive races and opened a 20-point lead over George Russell in the championship. Even so, the advantage began to shrink after rivals improved in Miami, especially the team of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Norris won the sprint in the United States after starting from pole and led a one-two on Saturday, before finishing second in the main GP, behind Antonelli. Mercedes did not bring updates to Miami and saved the upgrade package for Montreal. The team principal, Wolff, commented on the need to respond:
“Our competitors took a step forward in Miami and we need to respond; seven GPs in 10 weekends before the summer break are an opportunity for that,” he said. “We brought our first upgrade package of the year to Montreal, but performance only counts when it is delivered on track. We are only in the fourth race of the season. We have a long year ahead and this weekend decides nothing. We will keep the balance, learn and execute each step in the best possible way.”
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McLaren boss Andrea Stella praised the team’s progress after Miami: “We feel very satisfied with the weekend and the trend we have established,” he said. “We have more updates coming and we are optimistic that we can take more steps forward. Mercedes still has about a two-tenths advantage. They remain the best team at the moment.”
The Canadian GP, which takes place between May 22 and 24, will be the first test of Mercedes’ new update.
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