F1, Mercedes: the fatal mistake the team can no longer repeat
Mercedes in Formula 1 is struggling. The team has not yet fully recovered from the performance drop caused by the suspension change. The Brackley squad, fighting for second place in the Constructors’ Championship with Ferrari and Red Bull, alternates between strong performances and moments of difficulty. Mainly, George Russell delivers points, while Antonelli suffers more due to technical regressions and inexperience.
The new suspension undermined confidence
A failed update not only forces an unwelcome step back but also widens the performance gap with direct rivals. This is exactly what Mercedes is experiencing. The car was competitive up to Montreal, where wins and podiums could have provided valuable momentum for the team to establish itself as the clear second force.
However, from that point on, the proper balance with the push-rod suspension disappeared. On more technical tracks and in hotter conditions, managing a car that suddenly became difficult to handle proved challenging. Problems stemmed from the unstable rear, caused by aerodynamic stalls of the airflow through the floor, as maintaining ride height across different gears was no longer feasible.
This situation eroded driver confidence and affected performance. Mercedes’ mistake was not considering an intermediate solution: an update that could have mitigated issues caused by the first upgrade while improving the performance of the base specification used since the start of the season. Redesigning from scratch was not possible, as part of the team was already focused on the 2026 car.
Mercedes works on a car that still lacks certainty
Reverting to an older solution represents a significant technical regression compared to direct rivals. Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull have all progressed in the two months between the introduction of the new specification and the step back, increasing their data pool. The largest gap emerged in vehicle dynamics and tyre management during races.
Direct rivals have widened the gap over Brackley, forcing Mercedes to chase. Additionally, the need to regain performance clashes with compromise setups chosen to maintain balance. At Monza, the W16 aimed to excel in top speed but had to adopt higher downforce to limit oversteer and tyre wear on corner exits.
For Antonelli, solid reference points were missing, unlike for Kimi. The young Bolognese driver struggled more with the unbalanced rear, and his lack of experience prevented consistent performance in the second half of the season. An improvement from the Italian driver is expected on this front.
Mercedes must go all-in for the 2026 championship
The next eight races will show whether the German team can implement solutions to mitigate these issues, even as preparations for the 2026 season already occupy more engineers’ attention than planned. While the new power unit provides confidence, the aero-mechanical side remains a puzzle that the multi-championship-winning team must solve to tackle the next regulatory cycle effectively.
A decisive shift is needed, as the board is dissatisfied with the past four seasons. Mercedes lacks the solidity that made it the team to beat for eight consecutive championships. The squad is now fully focused on the future, dedicating a significant portion of attention to 2026 in order to regain its competitive edge.
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