Mercedes technical director James Allison says the team's decision to keep developing its 2026 Formula 1 car late has put it "out of phase" with the other teams around it, causing a leapfrog effect as in-season updates produce large performance gains.
The W17 has been the class of the field so far, starting out the year with a 1-2 finish in Australia and going on to claim eight wins in the opening 11 races of F1's new era. Although the team is the firm championship favourite, this has not stopped the likes of Ferrari and McLaren beating it to victories on merit over the course of 2026.
