Andrea Stella, team principal of McLaren in Formula 1, has expressed his doubt about the claims of his Mercedes counterpart, Toto Wolff, who asserted that the team does not have a sufficient budget to accelerate car improvements.
In recent weeks, both Ferrari and McLaren have experienced significant improvements in their 2026 machinery, achieving two victories each and putting pressure on the traditionally dominant Mercedes team.
Compared to their rivals, Mercedes has made only a minimal number of aerodynamic upgrades, with the intention of presenting a broader package at the Bahrain Grand Prix in October. This strategy, however, could lead to a performance deficit during the upcoming races scheduled in Italy, Spain, and Azerbaijan in September.
After the Dutch Grand Prix, Stella responded to Wolff’s statements, asserting, ‘I would like to believe you, but I really don’t believe you.’ He justified his stance by citing the new power regulations for 2027, which will entail a split of 57% to 43% between combustion power and electric energy, as well as an additional budget of 3 million dollars to help teams prepare for the changes.
According to Stella, if Mercedes really desired to, they could leverage this additional budget to implement improvements to the car. ‘All teams will have an allocation in their reports for the cost cap,’ he explained, adding that it is likely Mercedes themselves are working on substantial upgrades that could be implemented soon.
Stella remains optimistic about the team’s ability to convert its development potential into effective improvements to the car, despite acknowledging that competition is intensifying.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
