F1 | Toto Wolff admits Mercedes W16 failed to deliver at Monza, focus shifts to 2026 project
Toto Wolff has revealed his disappointment with the performance of the Mercedes W16, which once again failed to meet expectations. The Team Principal also shared thoughts on the outlook for upcoming races, including Las Vegas, while keeping an eye on the crucial 2026 regulation changes.
The disappointment of Monza
The Italian Grand Prix weekend ended with results far below Mercedes’ initial ambitions. George Russell finished in fifth place, squeezed between the two Ferraris, while Kimi Antonelli ended up ninth after receiving a five-second penalty during the race. Wolff admitted that the team had hoped for more from the W16 at Monza.
The Mercedes boss stressed that the car should have been well suited to the fast and flowing nature of the Italian circuit. However, the W16 showed itself to be only the fourth strongest package, with Mercedes once again losing valuable points to Ferrari in the battle for second in the Constructors’ Championship.
“We decided not to put too much emphasis on the remaining races this year. But in any case, the circuit characteristics should have been more favourable for us. We did not deliver the level of performance we should have shown,” explained Wolff to the media, including F1inGenerale.
Strategy also raised some questions, particularly with George Russell. Wolff clarified: “Today it was quite clear it was a one-stop race. A different strategy with George would not have changed our position. It was also a way to protect against a possible undercut from Lewis. There was no room to achieve a better result.”
Expectations for the W16
At the start of the 2025 season, Mercedes appeared to be favourites for second place in the standings. However, as the races progressed, the scenario shifted. The difficulties faced by rookie Kimi Antonelli and some updates that failed to deliver the expected step forward contributed to the loss of competitiveness compared to their direct rivals.
The characteristics of the car have also changed compared to the previous year. Wolff noted: “I want to manage our expectations.” He reminded that in 2024 Mercedes had been significantly stronger than their opponents at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but the circumstances are now different: “We did not put too much focus on Las Vegas. We had great ambitions for Spa and Silverstone, and both turned out to be negative performances.”
With the 2026 regulation overhaul approaching, Mercedes must find consistency and a clearer development direction. For now, however, the Monza weekend served as another reminder of the challenges that remain for the W16 project.
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