F1 News: Bernie Collins reveals big Mercedes flaw and what will decide title race

George Russell, Kimi Antonelli at the Japanese GP press conference — Photo: © IMAGO

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Bernie Collins reveals big Mercedes flaw and what will decide F1 title race

Mercedes could be shooting themselves in the foot this season

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Tuesday 4 August 2026 16:12

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Sky F1's Bernie Collins has raised concerns that Mercedes could shoot themselves in the foot during the 2026 title race.

Any F1 team principal would bite your hand off to have the best two drivers on the grid racing for their team.

If that's not available, then they certainly wouldn't say no to the best car on the grid.

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This is the situation that Toto Wolff finds himself in. Even though supremely talented, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are not the best two drivers in the paddock - even if the latter is at the top of the drivers' standings.

They are there due to the might of the Mercedes W17, which is why the Silver Arrows sit top of the constructors' table on 379 points - 72 points and 159 points clear of Ferrari and McLaren in second and third.

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Collins: F1 upgrades will decide title

Yet Collins - former strategist at Aston Martin - has insisted that Mercedes will not win the title if they don't win the upgrade race taking place off the track.

“I think this year is going to be about upgrades,” she said on Sky’s The F1 Show podcast.

“It’s going to be about who can get on top of these cars, who can get the best out of the cars, the best out of the engines.

“At the moment, as the calendar sets, we’ve done 11 rounds; we’ve got 12 still to go. So there’s still lots and lots of points on the board.”

Mercedes' mistake?

The Sky pundit also highlighted the dangerous game Mercedes are playing after getting distracted by inter-team issues in the earlier part of the year. Something they cannot afford to give points away to as the season continues.

“We’ve seen McLaren this weekend [in Hungary] at least have a little bit of the upper hand,” she continued.

“And maybe Mercedes have been a bit distracted with each other in some of the earlier races as well.

“So, I think that it’s still all to play for.

“I think you’ve pretty much got three cars, maybe Verstappen as well in that fight, that I think who knows as we go through later races who will be at the front week in, week out.

“And that’s really interesting to watch.”