Guenther Steiner predicts tight development fight between McLaren and Mercedes in F1 season. F1 development race heating up between Mercedes and McLaren, Steiner says.

Guenther Steiner predicts intense development battle between Mercedes and McLaren

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner expects a closely fought development battle between McLaren and Mercedes, with both teams working hard to introduce more effective upgrades and rapidly improve their respective Formula 1 cars.

Mercedes has dominated the season so far, winning all four races, with Kimi Antonelli leading the championship after three consecutive victories. Despite this strong start, McLaren has shown clear and rapid progress, climbing from fourth to second place in the standings.

Speaking to the media, Steiner commented on the evolving fight between the two top teams.

“I think it will be balanced throughout the season because McLaren brought a lot of upgrades to Miami, while Mercedes did not. I believe Mercedes is aiming for a big package for Canada, so we have to wait. I think it is a bit of a battle of who develops more and who develops better,” Steiner said.

McLaren’s recent momentum includes converting Lando Norris’ sprint pole position into a race victory in Miami, securing a one-two finish with teammate Oscar Piastri.

Steiner further added that Mercedes should not be considered behind despite not introducing major upgrade packages similar to McLaren’s recent developments.

“But Mercedes is not behind anyway, even though they have not made major changes to the car like McLaren did. Because now, if you bring the right upgrades, they can make a huge difference in performance. At the moment, since it is a new regulatory cycle, teams are still learning a lot. So I am not saying it is easy, but it is easier than it will be in three years to find performance in a car,” he explained.