After Lando Norris‘ victory at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix, the Mercedes team has recognized the notable technological advancement of McLaren. Norris ended Mercedes’ pole position dominance during the current season, achieving a dominant victory that confirms the superiority of the new MCL40 design.
The improvement of McLaren includes a newly redesigned floor, an aspect that Mercedes’ deputy technical director, Simone Resta, describes as a significant update that has likely influenced their performance. Resta commented on Norris’ outstanding performance, which has shown impressive consistency in recent races.
The season started with a clear domination by Mercedes, which managed to win the first six races. However, the team has experienced increased competition as updates from both Ferrari and McLaren have arrived, with McLaren now having reclaimed 26 points in the last three weeks. Currently, Ferrari is 72 points behind Mercedes in the standings.
Resta admitted that the team expected an increase in competition, highlighting the importance of continuous innovation in a dynamic field like Formula 1. He also mentioned the persistent reliability issues in Mercedes’ power unit, which have led to significant points losses.
Meanwhile, Mercedes is considering its own upgrade program for the second half of the 2026 season. The deputy director, Bradley Lord, indicated that they are evaluating when to introduce new improvements based on the performance of their rivals.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
