Toto Wolff has confirmed that Mercedes remains wary of rivals despite the team’s dominant start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, labelling the Silver Arrows “heroes”.
Mercedes has dominated the opening four races of 2026, comfortably winning all three opening flyaway races of the new season.
The W17 is currently the class of the field, delivering strong performance from both its internal combustion engine and battery, as well a as a efficient chassis.
What looked like a one-horse race for George Russell has evolved into a fast-developing intra-team battle, with Kimi Antonelli taking victory in both China and Suzuka.
But Wolff has confirmed that caution is permeating the air at the Silver Arrows, despite believing Mercedes currently performing like “heroes”.
“First of all, we need to stay feet on the ground,” Wolff said to media, including Motorsport Week. “We’re three races in.
“We’re looking like the heroes, but three races from now on, people could be saying, ‘you’re not heroes anymore, because the others got stronger’.
Wolff not comparing Mercedes success eras
The start of 2026 has echoes of Mercedes’ ultra successful period between 2014 and 2020, the start of which saw it take 16 wins in 19 races in 2014, and 19 wins in 21 races in 2016.
But Wolff has confirmed the team is not comparing the modern day to past glories, but underlined the team’s belief in returning to the front of the grid after a lean period during the ground-effect era.
“So I wouldn’t want at that stage to compare the successful era with what we’ve started here.”
“But definitely, we’d never stop believing that we would eventually land a car and build the structures that can do that with the right drivers,” he said.
“To see that finally coming together is nice.”
Wolff’s reveal that Mercedes never stopped doubting its ability to return to the front of the grid demonstrates the stability that guided it to so much previous success remains intact.
The rate of development in 2026 is expected to be fierce, so capitalising on early season results will prove crucial for when the chasing pack catches up.
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