Mercedes on the backfoot for 2026 F1 regulations

Mercedes could fail to get back to the front of the grid with the new regulations in 2026.

Mercedes on the backfoot for 2026 F1 regulations

Toto Wolff (Via: IMAGO)

Mercedes dominated F1’s turbo hybrid era between 2014 and 2020. Lewis Hamilton won five world titles during this period with Nico Rosberg emerging victorious in 2016. However, the Silver Arrows failed to even come close to this level of success after the 2022 rule changes.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell struggled at the start of the ground-effect regulations. So much so, that the seven-time world champion has failed to a single race since 2021. On the other hand, Russell has secured the team’s only victory in this era at the 2022 Brazilian GP. While Mercedes’ arch-rival Red Bull dominated the sport since.

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The Silver Arrows simply couldn’t grasp the ground-effect regulations as well as its rivals. Ferrari and McLaren out-developed the Brackley-based team. Ultimately, Lewis Hamilton decided to leave Mercedes despite achieving historic success. As the seven-time world champion believed that the Scuderia would be a better bet. As such, it seems that the Silver Arrows are going to have yet another difficult period from 2026.

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Lewis Hamilton is undoubtedly the biggest loss for Mercedes. Losing the seven-time world champion is even a public vote of no-confidence over the team’s progress. However, Hamilton has not been the only one who decided to leave the Silver Arrows. Ferrari even poached Toto Wolff‘s assistant and former racing driver Jerome d’Ambrosio alongside Mercedes performance director Loic Serra.

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff.
Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff. (Via IMAGO)

Additionally, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner claimed that Milton Keynes has hired over 200 engineers from the Silver Arrows. Although, Toto Wolff insisted that this number was not more than 20. However, it is clear that Wolff has found himself in a place where he needs to come out and defend the team’s staff situation.

Another question mark remains the driver line-up. Kimi Antonelli is the likely candidate to replace Hamilton. However, it would still be a massive gamble to get a rookie if the team truly wants to fight for the title in 2026.

Mercedes no longer seems to the force it once was in Formula 1. The Silver Arrows has failed to bag a single podium finish this season so far. It seems that it would be best for Toto Wolff’s squad to focus on the 2026 regulations. However, it will remain an uphill task considering the team’s recent progress in aero upgrades.

Certainly, Toto Wolff’s team would be hoping to bounce back with the upcoming rule changes. However, it remains to be seen if the Silver Arrows could find their way back to the top step of the podium. Nevertheless, 2026 will be a crucial year for Brackley’s future in F1.

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