Sitting fourth in the Constructors’ Championship with three race wins in 2024, Toto Wolff is pleased with how Mercedes’ season unfolded. He sees a much-needed silver lining that could greatly benefit the team heading into the 2026 season.
Speaking to OE24 ahead of the Singapore GP, Wolff explained that while Mercedes still has hopes for a third-place finish in the standings, a fourth-place result would bring its advantages. The lower a team finishes in the standings, the more time they are allocated in the wind tunnel.
“As fourth, we get more wind tunnel time,” said Wolff. “And that can help us a lot with development next year. We’re talking about the year 2026. That’s the silver lining for us.”
Toto Wolff on the advantage of finishing 4th in the Constructors’ Championship:
“As 4th team we get more wind tunnel time and that can help us a lot with development next year”
“We’re talking about the year 2026, where new regulations are coming that will set the direction… pic.twitter.com/9JFZP3eh65
— Marc (@433_marc) September 18, 2024
With 2025 marking the final season under the current F1 regulations, most top teams have already achieved the final evolution of their car concepts. This means the added wind tunnel time will allow Mercedes to concentrate on developments for 2026.
With this, the Silver Arrows could have an advantage over teams placed above – McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull. It could be further boosted by the fact that Mercedes’ engines are one of the best in F1.
Several factors give Mercedes the edge for 2026
Since entering F1 in 2014, Mercedes has maintained a formidable powertrains department. Aston Martin, Williams, and McLaren are all customer teams using Mercedes engines, with Alpine expected to join the list in 2026.
With additional time to develop its engine, the Brackley-based team has a chance to return to the top of the sport. Although the ground-effect era, which began in 2022, triggered a slump, the future now looks promising.
However, there’s still a possibility that Mercedes could head in the wrong direction. Extra development time doesn’t guarantee success, especially considering their struggles in 2022 and 2023. As a result, the German team must proceed cautiously, ensuring each step is carefully managed to avoid setbacks.
