Toto Wolff has looked ahead to the Miami GP. After a five-week spring break, all teams have traveled to the race in American Florida, where the Mercedes team principal expects the competition to come much closer to the Silver Arrows. ‘That is the reality of F1,’ said the Austrian. ‘It is a challenge that we not only welcome but also have to face’.
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With three Grand Prix wins already under their belt, Mercedes could not have wished for a better start to the 2026 season. However, the Silver Arrows did not stand still during the unexpected spring break either, and the team used the five weeks to continue working on the W17. “We used this break to honestly analyze the first races, address our weaknesses, and further raise our level,” Toto Wolff sums up in the Mercedes preview. “We started the season well, but that means little if you stand still.”
Mercedes is certainly not the only team that has used the five weeks between the Japan GP and Miami GP to further develop their car, Wolff also knows. “We also know that our competitors will have effectively used this time to improve their packages and gain more insight into their cars, so we expect the field in Miami to be closer together,” predicts the Austrian. “That is the reality of F1. It is a challenge that we not only welcome but also have to face.”
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Regulation changes
However, not only teams have made adjustments; the FIA also came with regulation changes after the loud call for change in Suzuka. “The adjustments in the regulations are more of an evolution than a revolution, intended to build on the quality of the races we have seen so far,” Wolff explains. “And while the drivers can go to the limit. These changes respect the DNA of our sport and I am convinced they will contribute to an even stronger spectacle in the future.” Earlier, the Mercedes team principal warned the FIA to adjust the regulations with ‘a scalpel, not a baseball bat’.
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