After winning the first six races of the season, Mercedes has finally had its Formula 1 dominance challenged in recent weeks – winning just two out of the last five grands prix. However, despite advances for McLaren that helped it take the win from pole at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff isn’t too worried about his rivals’ progress.
Mercedes was the favourite heading into F1’s new era in 2026, and backed that up with stellar on-track pace that was initially tough for its rivals to match. However, after upgrades for Ferrari and McLaren – and a few issues for Mercedes – the Silver Arrows have faltered at the top in recent races.
