In our final review at the summer break stage, it’s time to look back at what Mercedes has achieved so far in F1 2026.
Leading the drivers’ standings with one driver, holding a healthy lead in the constructors’, all looks pretty tickety-boo at the Brackley and Brixworth-based outfit on the surface, but might jeopardy lurk as others make progress?
Mercedes makes flying start to new F1 regulation set
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It had been earmarked for quite some time that, with all-new power unit and chassis regulations arriving in one go in 2026, Mercedes would be the ones best placed to make full use.
After all, it nailed the turbo hybrid engines from 2014 onwards and, with the most customer teams on the grid, it could gather more data than anyone else on how to identify improvements as and when they can be implemented which, in theory at least, would faster optimise what’s available.
Likewise, despite its struggles with ground effect-era porpoising to begin with, Mercedes won eight constructors’ titles in a row for good reason, so the potential to build a good car has been there for a while.
So it has proven, too, with the W17 having flown out of the traps to win the first six races of the season.
The team has not had it all its own way as the year has developed, with five different winners in as many races to lead up to the summer break showing Ferrari and now McLaren have both got potential, especially when it comes to race pace.
So while the picture is a pretty one for now, watch this space for the coming races.
Mercedes makes full use of only potential background advantage
For the sake of competitiveness, power unit parity rules have been in place in Formula 1 for quite some time now – meaning a works team cannot give its customers older specifications or keep its best versions for itself like it used to.
While Mercedes High Performance Powertrains customers McLaren, Williams and Alpine have spoken glowingly about HPP’s collaboration all year, the team has been clever in essentially keeping its cards close to its chest on how it maximises power unit performance in a year of radical change.
With Mercedes having had much longer to learn its own power unit’s intricacies and how best it can deploy energy around a lap, it has hit the ground running where its customers have had less time to learn in that regard.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted in Australia that “since we are a customer team, this is the first time that we feel we are on the back foot”, and McLaren has since created its own in-house power unit performance team to try and get to grips with every part of engine performance.
Mercedes will have further chances to improve, too.
While paddock suggestions are that Mercedes has created the best all-round power unit, its internal combustion engine performance was such that Red Bull Powertrains actually topped the ADUO rankings – meaning Mercedes will have a further upgrade opportunity to use down the line.
What about Kimi Antonelli and George Russell?
Many had George Russell down as the title favourite ahead of 2026 and that view was only reinforced after a comfortable victory at the season opener in Australia.
Since then, though, it has been largely one-way traffic at Mercedes as Kimi Antonelli took his first-ever race victory in Formula 1 – and backed that up by winning four more in a row for good measure.
Where the previously calm demeanour of Russell within Mercedes has slightly eroded through bad luck, a couple of bad drives and otherwise, Antonelli’s star has skyrocketed. His test now will be whether or not he can hold on.
It’s a big ask at 19, but we’ll soon see what he’s made of as the second half of the season unfolds.
If his first half has been anything to go by, though, it’s probably not too hyperbolic to say that, in Antonelli, we may well have Formula 1’s next superstar on our hands.
As for how Russell can fight back, he’s said all the right things in wanting to just control what he can, stay relaxed and let his driving do the talking,
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Both titles are Mercedes’ to lose.
Antonelli sits 50 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the standings, while the Silver Arrows sit 72 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors’ table.
While Toto Wolff has been keen to point out there is still a long way to go and anything can happen, saying in Hungary that points can “swing massively” race by race, internally he will likely be pushing hard for the team to make it over the line in both championships.
There may be good news ahead as, where the team’s rivals have invested plenty of resource in putting significant early upgrades on their cars, Mercedes has opted to keep its update schedule somewhat quieter by comparison – for now.
Wolff explained the team’s approach to updates, too, telling PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “We need to be strategic about when to bring the upgrades.
“When do we think they will have the biggest impact on performance, rather than just throwing it in at every grand prix like in the past – you cannot do this.
“We’re bringing upgrades. We’re closely monitoring how much we can bring and, at the moment, cost cap-wise, we’re in a good spot.
“We have tried to have it a little bit more the second half of the season, waited, and let’s see if that’s enough.”
On track, there remains the possibility of an in-team title battle breaking out as well.
If Antonelli falters and Russell surges, then there could still be the possibility of the team needing to lean on all its experiences from a decade ago to manage its two drivers through the highest of stakes in Formula 1.
Likewise, with Ferrari and McLaren having emerged as close contenders, the team is unlikely to have it all its own way for the rest of the year.
Antonelli has continued to struggle at the odd race start, Russell needs better luck with reliability and, while grid penalties are likely further down the line, the team should still be hot favourites for a title double as it stands.
However, taking the season as a whole, there’s not an awful lot more Mercedes could have done to provide its drivers with the platform to succeed.
Mercedes has not been completely infallible this year, but it hasn’t been far off either.
PlanetF1.com half-season rating: 9.5/10
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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