Toto Wolff dismisses 'gossip' about Mercedes' 2026 F1 engines with realistic admission

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff addressed the speculation about the 2026 Formula 1 regulations with a grounded assessment of what the next cycle may actually look like. With new power units, sustainable fuels, and reformed energy usage, Mercedes finds itself under the spotlight as discussions circulate about whether it could claim an early advantage.

Mercedes has been here before. In 2014, it entered a fresh regulatory set and dominated for a decade with its hybrid project. For that reason, rumors have circulated that the team is again positioned as an early favorite for 2026. Toto Wolff pushed back strongly against the narrative during his appearance on F1: Beyond the Grid.

“Never confident. We are half glass, half empty people, never half full. It starts with the enemy in the house. McLaren has been the better team this year with a Mercedes power unit. So, if the power unit were to be superior, which we never feel entitled to say so, then you got to beat Williams, you got to beat McLaren and you got to beat Alpine,” he said. (34:06 onwards)

“As a matter of fact, some of them will have had more development time in the wind tunnel because they've not been placed very well in the constructor championship. Some will've come with innovation that maybe we haven't spotted… And on top of that, these rumor mills are always dangerous, because someone somewhere in another team or another power unit manufacturer, fuel supplier will think, 'Well, we like to position you guys in a favorite role, but we're coming' and that's why we're not being carried away by any gossip that's been discussed at the hairdresser.”

Talk around the new regulations has intensified in recent months, especially with teams preparing for the biggest reset since the hybrid era began. The incoming rules introduce a 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power, with systems expected to regenerate twice the current energy levels. Cars will drop roughly 30 kilograms, downforce will reduce by 30 percent, drag by 55 percent, and active aerodynamics will replace DRS through moveable front and rear wings.

Drivers will also receive a new manual electric “boost” when running within one second of a competitor. These changes create a power unit that is far more complex to operate, and with increased battery deployment rising to 350 kW, the driver-engineer interaction becomes central to performance.

Toto Wolff’s caution comes at a time when Mercedes is preparing for the steepest engine production cycle of the hybrid era. With McLaren, Williams, and Alpine all locked in as customers, Mercedes must supply 16 complete power units by March 8, 2026, ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

Honda, by comparison, will only equip Aston Martin. Wolff admitted that the expanded supply list is a factor and said Mercedes would consider reducing the number of partners in future cycles, depending on how demanding the new format becomes.

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Toto Wolff reflects on the Mercedes' 2025 campaign: “We aren't depressed, we aren't exuberant either”

The Mercedes team photo before the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi. Source: Getty

Mercedes finished second in the 2025 Constructors’ with 469 points - its highest tally in three years. George Russell claimed two wins and nine podiums, while rookie Kimi Antonelli secured three podiums in a strong debut campaign.

While the Brackley outfit was not in the title fight with Max Verstappen or the two McLarens, their consistency kept them in a stable position throughout the year. Toto Wolff framed it as a season of solid output rather than one of regret, on the podcast

“I think when we'll be looking back in 10 or 20 years and look at the pure stats, you can say that the last 15 years were really good. We won eight consecutive championships and then the following four was… solid and respectable. But in each of those years there was another team that was pretty dominant. We were never the one fighting for the championship and that is a little bit unfortunate and we suffer from that from a competitive mindset,” he said (3:02 onwards).

He added:

“I would rank this season like some of the previous ones in respectable - we’ve won some races, many podiums.. and fundamentally fought for P2 in the Formula 1 World Championship... We aren't depressed, we aren't exuberant either.”

With Kimi Antonelli expected to grow and George Russell delivering his strongest year, Toto Wolff believes the foundation is stable. The next step, however, will depend on how Mercedes navigates the reset.