F1 2026, it’s Mercedes against Ferrari
Front row in Melbourne, front row in Shanghai. Even in the two battles for pole position on the Chinese circuit, the Mercedes confirmed the overwhelming superiority at least on the flying lap. The W17’s advantage is clear in terms of engine, where George Russell made the difference on Friday with super clipping on the second straight.
Even in Saturday’s Qualifying, the Brackley team was clearly in front when it came down to it, not only due to the gap that Kimi Antonelli gave to Ferrari (almost four tenths) but also due to the performance of Russell himself, capable of snatching the second time despite the technical problems at the start of Q3, cold tires and a flat battery. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolffhowever, continues to want to hide the potential of the car.
Wolff’s words
“I’m not relieved, but happy and peaceful. Now we have the feeling that we can fight for victory. Are we dominating? No, I am a pessimistic person and I always prepare for the worst“, this is his comment to The Team.
“This time I don’t think we got the project wrong, but that doesn’t mean we will win. Maybe Ferrari wins on Sunday and we’ll talk about something else“Considering how Friday went in Shanghai and the margin that the W17 seemed to have in its pocket in Melbourne, it remains an unlikely hypothesis.
