According to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, Formula 1 could have a more balanced championship than it seemed at the start of the season, especially after the Japanese GP. Wolff admitted that 2026 will not be a ‘home run’ for his team, after the competition showed more strength at the Japanese GP.
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Mercedes comfortably won the first two races of the year, but the scenario changed at Suzuka. The team encountered more difficulties, especially against Oscar Piastri, who proved to be a tough opponent throughout the race and took P2.
Even with more challenges, Kimi Antonelli ended up securing the victory, but the result indicated a new reality for the German team. Mercedes remains strong when leading, but no longer has a guarantee of easily moving through the field, something that was also influenced by the characteristics of Suzuka, traditionally difficult for overtaking.
With Formula 1 having no races in April following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, caused by the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel, the teams gained an unexpected break before the Miami GP. The extra period could allow rival teams to get even closer to Mercedes.
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur believes the championship could change after this break, and Wolff agreed with the assessment: “Yes, it’s exciting,” the Mercedes leader stated when commenting on Vasseur’s prediction.
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“Perhaps we would have wished for this to continue in the two Middle East races, to score a few more points, but I agree, it could very well be the case,” Wolff said. The Austrian also highlighted that teams are evolving rapidly.
“Teams have learned, and drivers are starting to understand how to optimize these systems to their advantage, and we have already seen the first signs of this. What seemed like a ‘home run’ in the first two races for us is not the case, and we always warned about that,” he added.
Wolff also indicated that the Miami GP will be an important moment to evaluate the balance of the championship. According to him, the updates planned by the teams could redefine the Formula 1 landscape in the coming races: “Miami will be, for me, also a restart. How the updates will work, what people will bring, how we optimize all the other systems. It’s going to be exciting,” the Mercedes boss concluded.
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