Toto Wolff warns Mercedes ahead of 2026 F1 rules changes: “Nowhere to hide”
“You have to do your job as well as possible on all levels. A good engine alone won’t get us anywhere.”
Toto Wolff has admitted Mercedes will have “nowhere to hide” when the 2026 F1 rules are introduced.
2026 will see significant changes to the technical regulations, particularly around the power unit.
With the mandatory use of sustainable fuels, F1’s engines will become more electrified in 2026.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has described the changes as the biggest in the sport’s history.
As a result, the competitive picture is expected to change, with greater emphasis on the engine side.
Mercedes famously nailed the start of the last major engine change in 2014.
Mercedes’ power unit was the class of the field and resulted in their domination of the sport.
It wasn’t until 2018 that Ferrari were able to catch up, albeit through dubious means, given that the FIA made changes at the end of 2019 to curtail the Scuderia.
2026 could be a similar story – but Wolff is wary of one thing heading into next year.
Speaking to AMuS, Wolff said: “I don’t have a stomach ache. It’s a super interesting challenge.
“You have to do your job as well as possible on all levels. A good engine alone won’t get us anywhere.
“McLaren will have that too. Then we have to beat them on the chassis. We have nowhere to hide.”
Mercedes confident ahead of 2026
Despite Wolff’s concern about the threat posed by McLaren, the general feeling within Mercedes is positive.
Technical director James Allison spoke about how the feeling is “similar” to 2014.
He said to Sky Sports at Imola last year: “I wasn’t in the team in the run-up to 2014 when the new generation of power units were being concocted and the enormous push to make them a reality was taking place.
“But those of us in the team who were, tell me that the feeling is very similar.
“There is a massive shove going on in HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] to make a success of that because it will set the course of anyone who’s lucky enough to have that in the back of their car for some seasons to come.
“We’re lucky that we will be on the receiving end of all the good investment they are making on our joint behalf.”
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