Why Mercedes is wary of F1 rivals despite unbeaten start to 2026

Mercedes remains wary of an increased threat from its Formula 1 rivals despite enjoying an unbeaten start to the 2026 season.

The Silver Arrows have kicked off the new F1 season by making a perfect start, picking up all three victories in Australia, China and Japan, as well as winning the Shanghai sprint race.

However, Mercedes did not have it all its own way in Japan. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri led until the timing of a safety car period turned the race upside down and played into Kimi Antonelli’s hands, enabling the 19-year-old Italian to score his second successive win.

After Sunday’s race, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur suggested that the next event in Miami could see the start of a “different championship”, with teams set to bring a host of upgrades to the fourth round of the season on 3 May.

“We would wish that it continues over into the two Middle-Eastern races and we can score a few more points, but I agree, it could be well the case,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said when asked about Vasseur’s prediction.

“Teams and drivers are starting to learn how to optimise these systems to their benefit and we’ve seen that first indication [in Japan]. What looked like a home run in the first two races for us isn’t the case and we’ve always warned [that].

“Miami is going to be a restart. How are the upgrades going to work that people are bringing? How have we optimised all the other systems? It’s going to be exciting.”

Mercedes sit comfortably at the top of the constructors’ championship, holding a 45-point buffer over Ferrari, who has been Mercedes’ nearest challenger on average across the first three rounds. In the drivers’ standings, Antonelli leads team-mate George Russell by nine points, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc 23 points adrift in third place.

Wolff insisted that Mercedes is keeping its “feet on the ground” despite its impressive start to F1’s new era.

“First of all we need to stay feet on the ground,” Wolff stressed. “We’re three races in, we’re looking like the heroes.

“But three races from now people could be saying ‘well, no heroes anymore’ because the others got stronger. So I wouldn’t want at that stage to compare the successful era with what we’ve started here.

“But definitely we never stopped believing we would eventually land a car and build the structures that could do that with the right drivers. To see that finally coming together is nice.”