Toto Wolff has stated that Mercedes refuses to sacrifice 2025 in order to compete for the championship under the new regulations set for 2026.
Mercedes experienced an inconsistent season in 2024: after starting from behind, the team secured several victories before the summer break but fell behind in the later races. The team is currently trying to close the gap against McLaren, which has maintained a consistent performance. At this point, there could be a strategy to somewhat sacrifice the 2025 season to adapt early to the new regulations that will come into effect in 2026.
However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff insists that the team has clear goals for victory every season, and therefore, he has no doubt they will do their utmost in 2025 as well. In a special interview, Wolff referenced a quote from Niki Lauda: “When asked if you prefer to win this one or the next one, Niki would say, ‘Both.’”
“Sometimes things are much less complicated than they seem. The transition to the 2026 regulations will likely happen a bit earlier since they will be under fixed regulations, but it won’t change the rules of the game.”
“Unless you’re truly nowhere, no one will even consider this option. Right now, we are fighting for victories and podiums, and we cannot set that aside,” he stated.
Wolff explained that understanding the fluctuating form of the best teams in F1 is very challenging. “It’s very difficult to account for this variability in performance from race to race or over a few races because a car that seems unchanged can win a race and then drop to sixth place afterward.”
“The only team that hasn’t experienced this is McLaren. I think they have such a solid foundation that they can maintain this performance consistently.”
“We were quite clear about where the performance was coming from before the summer break. Today, however, we are not, because what everyone has learned is that more downforce doesn’t always equate to better lap times.”
“The interaction between the track, temperatures, tires, balance, aerodynamics, and driver instincts… There are so many variables that you can only be fast if you align everything perfectly. And if there’s just one factor outside the line, you will quickly fall behind.”
The uncertainty regarding the elements needed to achieve a consistent race-winning form means it is crucial for Mercedes to learn as much as possible in the remaining races of this season to prepare well for the next year.
“Every session is interesting in a way because we can compare it to good races. We can see what’s different in the car, what’s different on the track, what’s happening with the tires, and we can analyze all of that.”
“We are aware of this car’s potential; it’s a car that has won races.”
Although Mercedes has achieved race victories this season, demonstrating that they are starting to make the most of the current regulations, Wolff says the gap is still too significant.
“Every year, our goal is to win races.”
“From this perspective, we can say that we have met certain expectations. However, if you look at the entire season, you will see that it is not the case.”
“Currently, there is extremely tight competition among four teams with eight cars. Unfortunately, due to performance drops and retirements, the gap between us and the leading team is quite large. Therefore, we find ourselves in a position in the championship that is far from satisfying.”
