F1 2026: Max Verstappen strikes fear into Toto Wolff as Mercedes told to ‘get their act together’

max verstappen, red bull, toto wolff, mercedes — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Testing 2026

Max Verstappen strikes fear into Toto Wolff as Mercedes told to ‘get their act together’

Verstappen set the benchmark in Bahrain this week according to Wolff

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 12 February 2026 20:52 Updated: 00:11

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has implored his F1 squad to pull themselves together after seeing what Max Verstappen has to offer at the wheel of his new Red Bull.

The Silver Arrows had been tipped as the favourites to master the 2026 regulations, so much so that their engine trick, which could hand them a 0.3 second advantage per lap, led to their rivals penning a letter of complaint to the FIA.

But after taking to the track in Bahrain this week for official pre-season testing, Mercedes' pace appears to have evaporated.

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On day one of this week's first round of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, Verstappen topped the timesheets after his morning stint in the RB22, and though Lando Norris claimed the top spot of the day in the afternoon, it was still Verstappen who posted the highest lap count, completing 136 with Red Bull.

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Mercedes thrown off by 'very strong' Verstappen performance

Mercedes completed 500 laps in their W17 at the Barcelona shakedown, leaving an impression on their rivals after showing off the reliability of their new power unit.

But in Bahrain, the Silver Arrows were outshone by Verstappen and Red Bull (on the first day of testing at least).

On Wednesday, Verstappen took on the sole responsibility of piloting the RB22 whilst Mercedes handed driving duties to George Russell for the morning session and Kimi Antonelli for the afternoon stint.

But Russell only managed to finish sixth-fastest on Wednesday after his 56-lap stint and Antonelli completed the day way down in 11th after only 30 laps, a total which cowered in comparison to Verstappen's 136 laps.

Following Verstappen's impressive first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, Wolff told F1.com that he felt Verstappen and Red Bull had set the new benchmark.

Wolff appeared slightly spooked yet still impressed by Verstappen's early performance, using the Dutchman's form to motivate his Mercedes team for the remaining testing days both this week and next week.

"We’ve seen a very, very strong Verstappen, so we have to get our act together, all of us, and then maybe by the end of the test we will understand more whether what we’ve done is good or good enough," Wolff said.

The Austrian then further spoke on his impression of Verstappen in Bahrain, adding: "Well, I was hoping that they were worse than they are!

"They’ve done a very good job. The car, the power unit, are the benchmark at the moment, I would say. Then, obviously, you have Max in the car. That combination is strong."

Both Red Bull and Mercedes suffered a less than ideal start to Thursday morning however, with Wolff's squad only completing three laps with Antonelli and the energy drink giants not able to send Hadjar out on track at all after a reported hydraulic issue.

Hadjar managed to get out on track in the afternoon however, while Mercedes, who absented from running for six hours, returned with Russell in the latter stages of Thursday.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Mercedes Toto Wolff 2026 regulations