Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin says the team’s strategy of introducing small, incremental updates rather than one large package is what has kept it competitive at the front of the 2026 Formula 1 field, even as Ferrari and Red Bull have rolled out more eye-catching upgrades in recent races.
Mercedes enjoyed a commanding start to the season but has seen its advantage narrow as rivals stepped up their development pace, with Ferrari keeping the Silver Arrows in sight, with two wins to keep both title challenges in check.
Team Principal Toto Wolff recently questioned how Ferrari has been able to bring such substantial packages within the confines of the cost cap, a remark that prompted a sharp response from Ferrari counterpart Fred Vasseur, who accused Mercedes and Red Bull of being praised for the same behaviour Ferrari is criticised for.
Asked about the team’s approach on the Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show, Shovlin said Mercedes has deliberately avoided chasing headline-grabbing updates in favour of a steady trickle of smaller gains designed to protect its position at the front.
“We’re bringing performance to it,” he said. “We haven’t done a massive kit like some of our competitors. But every week, we’re trying to bring performance to just keep ourselves ahead at the moment.
“We’re lucky that we’ve got a car that works across a whole range of tracks. Well, probably not lucky. I think we’ve done a good job at engineering a car that works across a full range of tracks.”
Shovlin conveyed his happiness that the Brackley-based squad has been able to reverse its fortunes at some circuits on which it has recently struggled, but conveyed a sense of concern that there will be a need to get the W17 ready for the unique challenge of Spa-Francorchamps, which hosts the Belgian Grand Prix next week.
“A lot of prep goes into the circuits to make sure that we land the car in the right place and we can perform well,” he said.
“We had a couple of circuits recently, like Monaco and Austria, that have been tough places for us over the last few years. It was great that we could turn it around there.
“But Spa is a really weird track, difficult from an energy point of view. So there’s a lot of work we’ve got to do to make sure we can hit the ground running.”
With Mercedes’ power unit being the class of the field so far this season, there will be a sense of expectation that George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be the ones to beat in Belgium, but with weather always at play in the Ardennes forest, nothing can be ruled out.
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