Mercedes admits “threat” from McLaren’s F1 surge: “We need to step up”

Key takeaways

• Pace gap at Zandvoort: Mercedes struggled after the opening stint on mediums, while McLaren grew progressively faster throughout the race.
• Championship pressure: Lando Norris reduced the gap to leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli to 83 points while drawing level with Lewis Hamilton in the standings.
• Urgent internal review: Toto Wolff confirmed Mercedes is investigating its performance drop-off to prevent further ground lost ahead of Monza.

Mercedes-AMG F1 has raised internal alarms following McLaren’s dominant race pace at the Dutch Grand Prix, with Team Principal Toto Wolff admitting the team must rapidly investigate its mid-race performance drop.

Speaking at Zandvoort, Wolff acknowledged that while Mercedes held early pace on the medium tyres, Woking’s surge during the later stints demonstrated a clear threat to both the Constructors’ fight and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s position atop the Drivers’ standings.

“You have to recognize that they were really fast [at Zandvoort]. I think we had a bit of superior performance on the medium tyres at the start. The first stint was reasonable, but from there on, they got stronger and stronger. So we need to step up and try to figure out why that happened,” Wolff explained.

While Antonelli maintains a lead over Norris in the Drivers’ Championship, the reigning World Champion’s recent form—alongside Lewis Hamilton’s persistent pressure—has tightened the title battle.

“We are fully aware of the threat. It’s not just [Lando] Norris we need to watch out for, but Lewis [Hamilton] is also right there. This battle is tough and could get even closer. So we need to do the absolute best job possible every weekend, in every session,” Wolff added.

The warnings from Mercedes follow several key Formula 1 developments ahead of Monza, including Lando Norris extending his McLaren contract through 2030, Red Bull shaping its Italian GP plan around Isack Hadjar’s wrist injury, and Max Verstappen identifying a potential V8 return as motivation to stay in F1.

Formula 1 resumes track action from September 4–6 at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, the 13th round of the 2026 World Championship. GRANDE PRÊMIO provides complete live coverage of every session across all categories. Follow all updates on our news page.

World Championship Standings (Top 5 after Dutch GP)

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1. Why is Mercedes concerned about McLaren after the Dutch Grand Prix?

Mercedes struggled with tyre degradation and pace after their initial stint at Zandvoort, whereas McLaren showed superior pace throughout the remainder of the race.

2. How many points separate championship leader Kimi Antonelli from Lando Norris?

Following Zandvoort, Andrea Kimi Antonelli (242 pts) holds an 83-point lead over 4th-placed Lando Norris (159 pts).

3. When is the next race on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar?

Formula 1 returns to action from September 4–6, 2026, for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.