Toto Wolff reveals which team he thinks has the fastest car after 2026 F1 Bahrain testing

Toto Wolff has played down expectations around Mercedes, saying they’re not the fastest team on the grid at the moment, despite being labelled pre-season favourites by many.

Mercedes came away from Barcelona with the most laps of any team, crossing the 500-lap mark, and Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets. Their testing programme looked smoothest of all, which only fuelled expectations further.

Long before teams rolled out their 2026 cars, Mercedes already had a strong reputation for their engine performance. That’s been a big reason why many see them as having an edge.

Speaking to Sky Italia in Bahrain, Wolff described Barcelona as “just a shakedown,” stressing that Sakhir will provide a more accurate picture of where teams really stand. Warmer conditions and completed reliability checks should give clearer insights into true pecking order than what we saw in Spain.

Wolff believes Red Bull currently have the fastest car in Formula 1

Despite Mercedes getting off to a strong start, Red Bull also made a statement in Spain. This is their first season with a self-developed power unit, yet they looked well put together.

Red Bull and Racing Bulls put in over 600 laps between them, and the new engine held up without any major issues.

Zak Brown said he was surprised by how good Red Bull looked, and Wolff went even further, calling their engine the ‘most complete’ on the grid. He credited Laurent Mekies’ team for putting together an impressive package.

He also admitted that Mercedes still have work to do. George Russell found the car tougher to handle during the first session in Bahrain than he had back in Barcelona.

“In Barcelona it was just a shakedown,” Wolff said. “For us, Red Bull is the fastest car and their engine is the most complete.”

“Are we ready? We don’t feel ready; today the set-up and balance weren’t where we wanted them compared to Barcelona.”

This isn’t unusual for teams expected to be at the front of the grid – early-season caution has become routine. On their side, Red Bull have also tried to play down expectations as they settle into their role as an engine supplier.

Toto Wolff denies Mercedes holds early advantage

Red Bull and Mercedes are on opposite sides of F1’s engine dispute heading into the new season. The Silver Arrows are adamant that their power unit is legal.

There have been allegations that Mercedes have exceeded the maximum fuel compression ratio of 16:1 when the engine is hot. This has led to calls for the FIA to introduce more rigorous testing methods.

Wolff was more forceful when he addressed the topic previously, but he seemed more composed this time, downplaying the significance of the alleged loophole.

“We developed our engine for a long time that’s why we are surprised that things could change so quickly,” he said. “Our rivals think we have an advantage, but we know we don’t. However, lobbying in F1 has always been like this.”