Montoya Warns Mercedes Must Speed Up Upgrades or Risk Falling Behind

Juan Pablo Montoya has warned that Mercedes risks surrendering its early-season advantage if the team does not accelerate its upgrade schedule. Speaking ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, the former F1 race winner argued that waiting for large, packaged updates could allow Ferrari to close the gap in the increasingly tight 2026 development race.

Why it matters:

Despite Kimi Antonelli's commanding lead in the drivers' championship with 156 points, Mercedes cannot afford to stand still. Montoya pointed to Ferrari's strategy of introducing smaller upgrades at regular intervals as a direct threat, noting that Lewis Hamilton's breakthrough victory at Barcelona proved the Scuderia is gaining momentum. In a season where mid-season development often decides titles, allowing rivals to outdevelop you is a recipe for disaster.

The details:

• On F1 TV's Weekend Warm-up, Montoya questioned Mercedes' current approach, suggesting the team needs to bring upgrades "quicker" rather than waiting for big packages.
• He noted that while Mercedes brought a significant update to Canada, there is no clear timeline for the next major step, leaving the team vulnerable.
• Ferrari's incremental improvements have already yielded results, with Hamilton taking his first win for the Italian squad at the Spanish Grand Prix.
• Antonelli's historic five-race winning streak in China, Japan, Miami, Canada, and Monaco has masked potential vulnerabilities, but George Russell's third-place standing on 106 points shows the team needs every advantage it can get.

What's next:

The Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on June 28 gives Mercedes a chance to reset the narrative. With Hamilton sitting second on 115 points and Russell in third, the Brackley outfit faces growing pressure to match Ferrari's development cadence. Whether Mercedes sticks to its methodical approach or pivots to more frequent updates could define the trajectory of the 2026 title fight.