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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has clarified that the team will never ditch current regulation development to focus on rule changes coming in 2026.
Ever since 2022, when the FIA introduced major aerodynamic changes for cars, Mercedes has struggled to keep up with other top teams and challenge for world championships. In 2022, they struggled to even come close to Red Bull and only won one race in Brazil.
One of the main reasons was that they took a bold approach and created a unique car concept that included a zero sidepod design. This design, including other aspects of W13, resulted in a lot of porpoising, which hampered the team's overall performance and also affected Lewis Hamilton and George Russell physically.
In 2023, the team tried their best to make the zero sidepod design work but eventually took a different direction with the bodywork. Since they drastically changed the car concept mid-season, they continued to struggle.
Coming into 2024, they have not yet bagged a podium finish in the first four races, and are struggling to keep up with Red Bull, Ferrari, and even McLaren.
In 2026, F1 will drastically change since the FIA will allow teams to bring in new engines based on their new power unit regulations.
Hence, Autosport recently asked Toto Wolff whether Mercedes would shift their focus on 2026 and leave the current car in its current form. The Austrian strongly denied it and stated that the Silver Arrows would not lose sight of the current regulations. He said that his team would keep pushing to catch the frontrunners.
“We are Mercedes. We cannot completely abandon the current regulations and continue to perform at the level we are at the moment. That's not the ambition of the brand, nor our own and our partners. So, no. I think you've got to continue to push, continue to form your understanding,” Wolff said.
Wolff added that the eight-time world champion team would still try to stay ahead of the curve and start developing their 2026 F1 machine early.
“But eventually, when the FIA comes up with some kind of form of regulations, we, like all the other teams, we will be starting to look at it, and probably more on the earlier side,” he added.
F1 commentator shares his views on Mercedes's woes in the 2024 F1 season
Renowned F1 commentator Martin Brundle recently talked about Mercedes's struggles in the 2024 F1 season.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, he expressed how concerning it is for team members to see their cars not perform well on the track. He added that he could not even try to guess the issues with the W15.
"They've got to understand this car and I think that's a grave concern for all of the people there. There are a lot of very clever people, with a huge amount of resources, performance tools, and budgets. I'm not going to try and second guess what's wrong with it, or state what I think is wrong with it, because if they don't know, then I certainly don't know," Brundle said.
Following the Japanese GP, Mercedes is fourth in the 2024 F1 constructors' championship with only 34 points.
