2026 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

[Lasssept]

Motorsport

[SiLo]

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/merc ... anned-fia/

Deployment trick has been banned.

[PlatinumZealot]

Are these yo-yo energy rules flattering Kimi as the next best thing since Lewis Hamilton?

He didn't really fight George head to head in the last two races after safety car and bad luck in energy deployment. These complicated cards make it hard to compare driving talent.

I believe the lower corner speeds and slower entries are definitely helping bring drivers closer together.

The best since Hamilton is a wild claim. He got beaten senseless last year. I like Kimi, but he is benefiting a lot from a dominant car and some good fortune.

Things will be more complicated once Ferrari catches up on power.

Up until last year, No.1 drivers earned their remuneration based on the advantage they showed over their team mate with exceptional cornering speeds, dancing the car through the corners which gave them somewhere between 2 tenths to 5 tenths (in some drivers' cases) on quali. In races, that same corner attacking, along with retaining tyre life was another skill that differentiated them apart. This year, both are gone. Drivers are braking (battery charging) well ahead of corners, slowing the car down significantly. That has equalized the field of play. Going slower into the corner now also helps managing tyres better, allowing better race lap times. There is very little for No.1 drivers to differentiate themselves from No.1.5 drivers. This has masked Kimi's shortcomings, coupled with a car that has great mechanical balance. If rules change to put premium back on cornering speeds, I don't think Kimi can beat George. But so long as these regulations exist, he will be doing well.

You can't dance a ground effect car!
Please watch F1 before the ban on refuelling.

[SB15]

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/merc ... anned-fia/

Deployment trick has been banned.

Great! They just made Mercedes faster lmao. Might be why their starts are so woeful

[SiLo]

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/merc ... anned-fia/

Deployment trick has been banned.

Great! They just made Mercedes faster lmao. Might be why their starts are so woeful

This was being used by Mercedes to go faster, so I believe it's the opposite.

[LM10]

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/merc ... anned-fia/

Deployment trick has been banned.

Great! They just made Mercedes faster lmao. Might be why their starts are so woeful

Uhm… no.

Also, it’s about qualifying, no starts there.

[Waz]

Was only used in China anyway properly. To make a difference, it needed a decently long run to the finish line, which would be far enough that other cars would start ramping down.

It might have been effective somewhere like Monza, entering the straight at fairly high speed already.

[Just_a_fan]

Was only used in China anyway properly. To make a difference, it needed a decently long run to the finish line, which would be far enough that other cars would start ramping down.

It might have been effective somewhere like Monza, entering the straight at fairly high speed already.

Quite the opposite. Wasn't used in China because the distance from the last turn to the line was short.

[WardenOfTheNorth]

Was only used in China anyway properly. To make a difference, it needed a decently long run to the finish line, which would be far enough that other cars would start ramping down.

It might have been effective somewhere like Monza, entering the straight at fairly high speed already.

Quite the opposite. Wasn't used in China because the distance from the last turn to the line was short.

This. And wasn't used in Japan due to concerns it could lead to problems after Kimi, Max and Alex all had issues.

So only actually used in Melbourne.

[Lasssept]

[Lasssept]

The Race

The most commonly accepted viewpoint is that Mercedes is well ahead, with everyone else other than Red Bull set to get upgrade opportunities.

But there has been an alternative view put forward, based purely on the engine output, that Mercedes will not be judged as the benchmark; Red Bull will be instead.

Some analysis points to the Red Bull engine's early promise - remember Toto Wolff labelling its deployment the "benchmark" in pre-season testing? - still being there, but hidden because other elements of the package, such as the chassis and battery, are letting it down.

If this left-field theory proves true and it turns out that Red Bull comes out on top because its engine is so strong, then could its advantage even be enough for Mercedes to fall outside of the 2% window and be granted some extra development opportunity ?

It's unlikely, but not impossible according to some within the paddock.

[LM10]

The Race

The most commonly accepted viewpoint is that Mercedes is well ahead, with everyone else other than Red Bull set to get upgrade opportunities.

But there has been an alternative view put forward, based purely on the engine output, that Mercedes will not be judged as the benchmark; Red Bull will be instead.

Some analysis points to the Red Bull engine's early promise - remember Toto Wolff labelling its deployment the "benchmark" in pre-season testing? - still being there, but hidden because other elements of the package, such as the chassis and battery, are letting it down.

If this left-field theory proves true and it turns out that Red Bull comes out on top because its engine is so strong, then could its advantage even be enough for Mercedes to fall outside of the 2% window and be granted some extra development opportunity ?

It's unlikely, but not impossible according to some within the paddock.

Seriously? Who believes this? Typical off-season fairy tale.

[Seanspeed]

The Race

The most commonly accepted viewpoint is that Mercedes is well ahead, with everyone else other than Red Bull set to get upgrade opportunities.

But there has been an alternative view put forward, based purely on the engine output, that Mercedes will not be judged as the benchmark; Red Bull will be instead.

Some analysis points to the Red Bull engine's early promise - remember Toto Wolff labelling its deployment the "benchmark" in pre-season testing? - still being there, but hidden because other elements of the package, such as the chassis and battery, are letting it down.

If this left-field theory proves true and it turns out that Red Bull comes out on top because its engine is so strong, then could its advantage even be enough for Mercedes to fall outside of the 2% window and be granted some extra development opportunity ?

It's unlikely, but not impossible according to some within the paddock.

Seriously? Who believes this? Typical off-season fairy tale.

We're in the middle of a month with no F1 racing. Of course some of these outlets were gonna resort to making up a bunch of nonsense to get attention.

[DoctorRadio]

The Race

The most commonly accepted viewpoint is that Mercedes is well ahead, with everyone else other than Red Bull set to get upgrade opportunities.

But there has been an alternative view put forward, based purely on the engine output, that Mercedes will not be judged as the benchmark; Red Bull will be instead.

Some analysis points to the Red Bull engine's early promise - remember Toto Wolff labelling its deployment the "benchmark" in pre-season testing? - still being there, but hidden because other elements of the package, such as the chassis and battery, are letting it down.

If this left-field theory proves true and it turns out that Red Bull comes out on top because its engine is so strong, then could its advantage even be enough for Mercedes to fall outside of the 2% window and be granted some extra development opportunity ?

It's unlikely, but not impossible according to some within the paddock.

Seriously? Who believes this? Typical off-season fairy tale.

Clickbait, Nugnes’ level.

[WardenOfTheNorth]

The Race

The most commonly accepted viewpoint is that Mercedes is well ahead, with everyone else other than Red Bull set to get upgrade opportunities.

But there has been an alternative view put forward, based purely on the engine output, that Mercedes will not be judged as the benchmark; Red Bull will be instead.

Some analysis points to the Red Bull engine's early promise - remember Toto Wolff labelling its deployment the "benchmark" in pre-season testing? - still being there, but hidden because other elements of the package, such as the chassis and battery, are letting it down.

If this left-field theory proves true and it turns out that Red Bull comes out on top because its engine is so strong, then could its advantage even be enough for Mercedes to fall outside of the 2% window and be granted some extra development opportunity ?

It's unlikely, but not impossible according to some within the paddock.

Seriously? Who believes this? Typical off-season fairy tale.

While I do agree with you, let's play Devil's Advocate for a second...

Mercedes have been key in increasing the electrification side of the PU regulations. Mercedes even went so far as running a Formula E team which would have offered them some valuable insight into energy management.

I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility that Mercedes have the strongest electrical half, but another team has the strongest ICE.

And if another team had then Red Bull are widely accepted to have the second best overall PU.

So maybe Mercedes have the best overall PU, but RB actually have the more powerful ICE.