Mercedes ‘haven’t got the money’ for upgrade packages: Toto Wolff
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Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli (left) and George Russell celebrating on the podium after placing second and third at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on Aug 23.
PHOTO: AFP
Although Mercedes sits atop the Formula One team standings, and have the top two drivers in the individual standings, team principal Toto Wolff is speaking out about funding disparities relative to their top competitors.
After a second-place finish in the 2025 team standings, Mercedes’ driver pairing of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell combined to win the first six races in 2026 and eight of 10 to start the season.
McLaren, who won the 2025 constructors’ championship, were winless in the first 10 races this season before 2025 F1 champion Lando Norris won each of the last two races for the team in Hungary and the Netherlands, bridging F1’s mid-season break.
The adjusted Ferrari team, anchored by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, won the other two races where Mercedes failed to finish on top, in Spain and Britain. Ferrari sit in second place in the constructors’ standings, 87 points behind Mercedes.
The McLaren and Ferrari surges came on the back of major upgrade packages that have revived each team’s season. Wolff said Mercedes have been unable to match those upgrades.
“We haven’t got the money to put developments on the car,” the 54-year-old said.
“I said it before, we are trying to evenly split that through the season, based on our calculations of when we can bring the biggest updates and optimising the championship points. We just can’t do what we can’t do.
“That’s why it is a development race. If you bring an upgrade, each of the top teams will have a couple of tenths in it, at least, and that’s what you lose.
“So, yeah, the ride has been a bit tougher than at the beginning of the year.”
Antonelli, who has won six races this season and is top of the drivers’ standings, did not hide his feelings when talking after his runner-up finish at the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug 23.
“We’re clearly not the fastest car any more on the grid,” said the Italian, who turned 20 on Aug 25. “We’re probably second or third, at least in (Aug 23’s) race, and McLaren has taken a huge step, especially since Hungary, since the big upgrade package they brought.”
With teams capped in terms of how much money they can spend in a season – US$215 million (S$273 million) – Wolff hinted at the possibility that Mercedes are setting much of what is left in that money for a final push later in the season.
“You will see if towards the end of the season (if the other teams) are going to be able to deploy as much stuff onto the car as they do now,” the Austrian said. “Someone might have a different strategy in spending more at the beginning and in the middle of the year than towards the end.”
Antonelli added: “I’m confident with the team. The team has been working super hard on this next package that is coming up and they just want to make sure that it’s going to work out well once we put it on.
“So for sure, in this race, it’s going to be more difficult, it’s going to be challenging, but we’re ready to do our best and to maximise every opportunity.
“And then hopefully it’s going to be our turn to bring the package that’s going to give us a little bit of the upper hand again.” REUTERS
