Mercedes crew principal Toto Wolff isn’t nervous about McLaren’s dominant efficiency on the Hungarian GP, insisting he will not draw main conclusions from a race the place even “synthetic intelligence” would have predicted the papaya crew as favourites.
For the primary time in 2026, neither a Mercedes nor a Ferrari driver was on the highest step in Budapest, as Norris secured a supreme, 15-second victory on the Hungaroring, forward of Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
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Norris’ win in Budapest was McLaren’s third consecutive victory within the Hungarian capital, with the Woking crew having introduced vital upgrades, together with to the rear wing endplate, and a brand new flooring and board.
Regardless of some tipping McLaren for a doable late cost on the title such was their tempo on the Hungarian GP, Wolff opted to give attention to the crew’s historic dominance on the Hungaroring as a motive to not be too alarmed.
Talking to media, together with GPblog, Wolff mentioned: “Once you ask the synthetic intelligence who’s the favorite in Budapest, the synthetic intelligence goes to say McLaren, as a result of they have been the dominant crew right here in the previous few years. I believe it was one and two and one thing like this final 12 months.
“So, positively, it is likely one of the good tracks for them, and never excellent for us. So, we have to be cautious to not swing from everyone seems to be out of the blue aggressive to a crew is out of the blue not aggressive.
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Wolff: Mercedes have to be strategic over improve timeline
Picture: Race Photos
Wolff didn’t discredit McLaren’s improved efficiency after the upgrades, however identified that Mercedes’ W17 has not undergone vital upgrades “for a while,” with the Canada GP in Might the final main overhaul for the Silver Arrows.
“I believe they’ve positively carried out a step, they’re within the struggle, we have not introduced an improve for a while, and you’ll see that that is going to be a improvement struggle additionally going ahead,” Wolff added.
Focusing extra intently on Mercedes’ personal improve timeline, Wolff defined why the German crew have been extra gradual as compared with Ferrari, for instance, who’ve regarded to introduce updates in a extra aggressive trend.
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Wolff mentioned: “We have to be actually simply strategic about when to carry the upgrades. Slightly than simply throwing it in at each grand prix like previously, we can not do that, so you’ll have to finally put an improve in and possibly you leapfrog somewhat bit the others after which it type of flattens out and the opposite ones coming stronger.
“So, yeah, we’re bringing upgrades, we’re intently monitoring how a lot we are able to carry and in the meanwhile value cap smart we’re in a great place, we have tried to have it somewhat bit extra second half of the season, waited – and let’s have a look at if that is sufficient.”
