Mercedes no longer untouchable in F1 2026 as Simone Resta highlights growing threat from McLaren and Ferrari

Mercedes may still lead the Formula 1 world championship comfortably after the Miami Grand Prix, but internally the Brackley-based team is becoming increasingly aware that its early-season dominance is beginning to come under pressure from rival teams.

After four races in the 2026 Formula 1 campaign, Mercedes remains the benchmark operation on the grid. George Russell opened the season with victory in Australia before Andrea Kimi Antonelli continued the team’s remarkable momentum by winning in China, Japan, and Miami. Those results have allowed Mercedes to establish a commanding position in the constructors’ standings with 180 points.

At this stage of the season, Ferrari sits second in the championship, trailing Mercedes by 70 points, while McLaren remains 86 points behind the Silver Arrows. Despite those numbers, however, Mercedes engineers no longer believe the performance gap is as comfortable as it appeared at the beginning of the year.

Deputy Technical Director Simone Resta offered an honest assessment of the current competitive picture following the Miami Grand Prix weekend, admitting that rival teams are steadily reducing Mercedes’ advantage through aggressive development programmes and major aerodynamic upgrades.

McLaren emerging as Mercedes’ biggest concern after Miami upgrades

The return to racing in Miami followed a lengthy break in the Formula 1 calendar, giving teams valuable time to analyze weaknesses and accelerate development plans. Several front-running squads arrived in Florida with important update packages designed to improve aerodynamic efficiency, tire management, and overall race pace.

Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren were among the teams introducing the most visible modifications to their cars. While Ferrari continued searching for answers after an inconsistent opening phase of the season involving Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, McLaren appeared to make the most immediate step forward.

The Woking-based outfit surprised much of the paddock with a significantly improved MCL40 package that transformed the team into a genuine threat across the Miami weekend. Lando Norris converted that pace into victory during the Sprint race, while McLaren consistently challenged Mercedes throughout both qualifying and race conditions.

According to Simone Resta, the competitive landscape now looks far tighter than it did during the season opener in Melbourne. Speaking during the latest edition of the Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show alongside Mercedes reserve driver Fred Vesti, the Italian engineer acknowledged that Mercedes had initially enjoyed a larger margin than expected over the rest of the field.

However, Simone Resta explained that the situation has evolved rapidly as competitors continue bringing upgrades to each race weekend. Internally, Mercedes now believes the gap separating the front-running teams is shrinking with every event.

The Mercedes deputy technical chief suggested that while the Silver Arrows still maintain a slight edge overall, the advantage is no longer overwhelming. He pointed specifically to McLaren as the team making the strongest progress under the hot and demanding conditions experienced in Miami.

From Mercedes’ perspective, the concern is not simply outright lap time but the speed at which rival teams are unlocking additional performance through development. McLaren’s latest aerodynamic package demonstrated strong balance improvements in both low-speed and high-speed sections, while tire degradation also appeared significantly better compared to earlier races.

The rapid development pace across the Formula 1 grid is already creating fears inside Mercedes that the second half of the season could become far more complicated than originally anticipated.

Ferrari still searching for consistency with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

Although much of the post-Miami attention focused on McLaren’s resurgence, Ferrari continues to remain an important factor in the championship fight. The Maranello-based team has introduced several upgrades throughout the opening rounds, attempting to improve the overall competitiveness of the SF-26 for both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

So far, Ferrari’s campaign has shown flashes of potential but also periods of inconsistency, particularly across different track layouts and weather conditions. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have both struggled at times to consistently match Mercedes over full race distances, especially when tire management becomes critical.

Even so, Mercedes remains cautious about Ferrari’s long-term threat level. The Italian team’s development structure and technical resources make it dangerous over the course of a long Formula 1 season, particularly if future upgrade packages successfully unlock additional aerodynamic efficiency.

Meanwhile, Red Bull also continues working aggressively behind the scenes despite not yet matching the pace expected from a team led by Max Verstappen. The Milton Keynes outfit introduced important modifications in Miami and is expected to continue refining its package before the Canadian Grand Prix.

Formula 1 title battle beginning to intensify before Canadian Grand Prix

While Mercedes still holds control of both championships, the momentum entering the next phase of the season suggests Formula 1 fans could soon witness a much tighter battle at the front.

McLaren’s resurgence, Ferrari’s ongoing development programme for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, and Red Bull’s determination to recover performance are all contributing to a rapidly evolving competitive picture.

For Mercedes, maintaining its advantage will now depend heavily on how effectively the team responds to the latest wave of upgrades arriving from rival squads. Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have delivered strongly so far, but the margin for error may become increasingly small as the championship progresses.

The upcoming Canadian Grand Prix could therefore become one of the most important weekends of the 2026 Formula 1 season so far, especially with several teams preparing additional aerodynamic and mechanical updates aimed at finally challenging Mercedes’ position at the top of the grid.