Toto Wolff and the Mercedes team have finally traded their ground-effect headaches of the past for a sense of hard-earned optimism.
As Formula 1’s 2026 technical revolution takes hold with revamped power units and fresh aero, the Brackley squad appears to have found its footing, its new-generation machine shedding the temperamental traits of its predecessors in favor of a much more stable platform.
For a team that spent much of the previous regulation cycle chasing aerodynamic ghosts, the smooth rollout of their W17 SilverArrow is more than just a strong start – it’s a psychological breakthrough.
Mercedes logged more mileage than any other team during pre-season testing in Bahrain, looking every bit like the juggernaut that once ruled the grid.
But despite the paddock buzz positioning them at the head of the pecking order, Wolff is keeping his cards close to his chest, even as he admits the "soul" of the car feels inherently better.
"It's a relief that we started testing and it actually feels decent," Wolff told reporters.
"The drivers are quite pleased with the car. On the stopwatch, we know that we are not miles off, and that was the case in all of the last three or four years that we had."
Calculating the Competitive Order
After days of being cornered by the media to address F1’s lingering "compression ratio" controversy, Wolff has finally pivoted back to the topic fans care about most: raw performance.
With the technical firestorm regarding power unit tolerances now beginning to dissipate, the Austrian has reclaimed the narrative to focus on the silver arrows' actual prospects on track.
©Mercedes
When pressed on whether Mercedes is truly the favorite heading into the season opener in Australia, the Austrian remained the master of the measured response, citing the perennial variables of testing fuel loads.
"We don't really know where everybody stands, because 10 kilogrammes of fuel load can make three to three and a half tenths of a second in lap time difference," he said.
Read also: Mercedes F1 customer teams set for engine upgrade for Melbourne"You can kind of best guess where everybody is. I would say it's four teams at the moment, pretty much the usual suspects. I would think we are part of the group that can compete at the front."
The guessing game ends next weekend at Albert Park. If that "decent" feeling translates into Sunday silverware, the relief in the Mercedes garage might just turn into a roar.
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