Mercedes Upgrade Plan Revealed As 2026 F1 Changes Loom

Cars for 2026 will be smaller and lighter to try and appease recent concerns from drivers and fans whilst the power units are also getting a makeover with an increased focus on electrical energy.

Teams will therefore need to make a decision on how to distribute time, resources and energy between the current machinery and next year's challengers in order to maximise performance across both campaigns.

With McLaren already 299 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' championship and Mercedes a further 24 points back, the decision to switch focus towards next season may be easier to make given the lack of silverware on offer - though no team wants a drop-off in competitiveness towards the end of the year.

With Mercedes "ready to get back racing" at Zandvoort this weekend, Wolff explained: "We start the run to the end of the season, and this current era of regulations, determined to end both strongly.

"It will be an intense 10 races as we fight for second in the Constructors' Championship and simultaneously focus on 2026," he said in the press release.

Confirming the team's upgrade plan for the rest of the season, the Austrian added: "Whilst we won't be bringing any more major developments to this year's car, the progress we made in Hungary gives us a good platform to work with."

While rookie Kimi Antonelli's struggles continued at the Hungaroring last time out, George Russell turned fourth on the grid into a poidum finish behind McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The Silver Arrows will be hoping for another strong showing in the Netherlands this weekend, albeit at a circuit where Russell and former teammate Lewis Hamilton could finish only seventh and eighth last year.

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