McLaren's Stella hits back at Mercedes' money claim: 'I don't believe it'

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has dismissed Toto Wolff's claim that Mercedes is running out of money to develop its 2026 car, insisting the championship leaders will soon cash in on upgrades.

Speaking after the Dutch Grand Prix, where Lando Norris took his second straight win, Stella said he doesn't believe Mercedes' financial concerns, pointing to a budget cap allowance tied to the 2027 power unit regulations.

Why it matters:

Mercedes currently holds an 87-point lead in the constructors' championship, with Kimi Antonelli 59 points clear in the drivers' standings. If Stella is right, the Silver Arrows could extend their advantage even further in the second half of the season, making a comeback for rivals even harder. The exchange also highlights the psychological battle between the top teams as the title fight intensifies.

The details:

• Wolff claimed after Zandvoort that Mercedes "hasn't got the money" to sustain its rapid development pace, a comment that raised eyebrows across the paddock.
• Stella countered that all teams will receive a $3 million allowance in their 2026 cost cap reporting, thanks to the upcoming 2027 power unit regulations.
• "I would like to believe you, but I actually don't believe it," Stella told media including RacingNews365.
• The McLaren boss is convinced Mercedes' wind tunnel car is "quite a bit faster" than the one on track, and that upgrades are inevitable.
• "I'm sure that Mercedes, having seen that the rivals are elevating the game, I'm sure they will now cash in on their development that surely is happening on the ground," he said.

What's next:

With the second half of the season in full swing, Mercedes' rivals are applying pressure. But Stella expects the championship leaders to respond with new parts, potentially widening the gap further. "Obviously, it would be good if not, but I don't even want to think it," he added. The coming races will show whether Wolff's warning was genuine or a classic piece of gamesmanship.