Wolff: Mercedes 'hasn't got the money' to keep up in development race

Toto Wolff admits Mercedes 'hasn't got the money' to develop its 2026 car at the same rate as McLaren and Ferrari. Its $215m cost-cap allowance is already committed, leaving no room to match rivals' upgrade surge.

Why it matters:

Mercedes started 2026 as the team to beat, but a conservative upgrade plan since Canada has let McLaren and Ferrari overtake. After Lando Norris won again at Zandvoort, Wolff's comments suggest Mercedes could lose ground while protecting its development programme.

The details:

• Wolff: "We just can't do what we can't do" under the cost cap.
• He hinted rivals may be front-loading budgets: "Someone might have a different strategy in spending more at the beginning and the middle of the year than towards the end."
• No significant W17 upgrades until the Bahrain Grand Prix in early October.
• Reliability cost: Wolff estimates Kimi Antonelli and George Russell lost 50-100 points to power unit issues, with grid penalties still to come.

What's next:

Mercedes' next major update is likely to arrive in Bahrain. Whether that closes the gap may depend on how much budget remains — and whether rivals' early spending leaves them with nothing in reserve.