The Mercedes F1 monster lurking in the shadows

Mercedes

The Mercedes F1 monster lurking in the shadows

Mercedes are the dominant team in the sport in 2026

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 11 May 2026 14:29

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Things could be about to get even better for the Mercedes F1 team.

Leading the constructors' championship by 70 points to nearest challengers Ferrari, the team appear to have mastered the new regulation changes that swept into F1 at the start of the year.

They have won all four grands prix so far, and 19-year-old driver Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers' championship having claimed the last three pole positions and race victories consecutively.

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Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull threw everything they could at Mercedes at last weekend's Miami Grand Prix, and still they won.

Red Bull and McLaren brought seven upgrades each to the Miami International Autodrome and looked impressive, clearly having put the work in during the five-week break in the sport.

Ferrari brought a whopping 11 upgrades to Miami, but actually look as though they've fallen away a little bit after their strong start to the season, finishing sixth and eighth respectively in Miami.

Mercedes, meanwhile, just brought two very minor upgrades, with the culmination of their work during the five-week break set to be unveiled at the Canadian Grand Prix later this month.

The team had already built a monster, now they're getting prepared to launch version two of the W17.

What upgrades are Mercedes bringing to Canada?

Mercedes still dominated their rivals in the grand prix in Miami despite the plethora of upgrades that McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull had brought, but the sprint race on the Saturday displayed why they should not get complacent about the 2026 championship.

World champions McLaren achieved a one-two in that race, as well as a two-three behind Antonelli on the Sunday, showcasing that Mercedes need to bring upgrades of their own to stay ahead of the competition.

And that is exactly what they are set to do.

Speaking to media after the Miami GP, team principal Toto Wolff said: "The car wasn't at the same level of upgrades as perhaps the McLarens. A major update is coming in Canada."

Mercedes' upgrades are going to focus on aerodynamic improvements which they waited one race to bring because the Miami GP track suited their old package better.

The low-drag, stop-start nature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is understood to suit their new package better, and the upgrades will likely focus on the floor and the rear wing, although don't expect to see a copy of Red Bull and Ferrari's flip-flop rear wing design.

The upgrade package has been described as 'major', 'big' and 'significant' by Wolff and other people in the know, and with how well the W17 has been performing so far, even a small gain in performance could be a hammer blow to their rivals.

But Wolff has warned that, just because they are bringing an upgrade package, Mercedes will not necessarily be faster.

"We need to make sure that works," he said. "On paper, it's always easy to say: 'Then we'll be even faster.' But that has to actually be the case on the racetrack."

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F1 Ferrari Mercedes George Russell Kimi Antonelli Canadian Grand Prix