Mercedes outlined the F1 development plans and trade-offs between the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Silver arrows are still above the W16 Challengers and study lessons to help develop the 2026 Challengers when new regulations for F1 are introduced.
Formula 1 teams will need to balance their competitive outlook this season, along with preparing for an overhaul of key rules for the sport in 2026. For those outside the championship contest, the decision to focus completely next year is easier than a team fighting in the sharp end of the grid.
Mercedes hopes that as the 2025 season progresses, the team will bring fewer development items to each challenger.
Speaking at Hungarian League Rampuri, Mercedes Communications Chief and team president Bradley Lord told Select Media, which includes Crash.Net:
“It’s going to be a much lighter documentary than it will be a more normal season without any major changes that comes in. And I think that’s true for all teams.
“But that doesn’t mean you stop learning just because you don’t have aerodynamic performance or upgrades that come to your car, so you’re particularly aiming to learn tire management efforts and how you’re working to the fullest from your tires.
“So that work is ongoing because that learning is not specific to this generation of cars. It’s related to all the racing cars we make in the future.”
Mercedes is paying attention to 2026
Mercedes currently sits third in the Constructors Championship, but is only 24 points behind second-placed Ferrari.
If Mercedes was made regarding the “big” upgrade for the 2025 season, if pressed by crash.net, Lord replied.
“Whether that means a lot of items on the list of declarations, whether it means lap times and things like that, it depends a bit on the big semantics.
“But in places where development items are actually dry, you often get a lot of progress in your understanding and learning, even if the relatively static configuration is performance.
“So we’re going to do that and try to race as hard as we can in the second part of the season. We’re fighting closely with the other two teams for P2 in the championship.
Mercedes boss Totowolf confirmed that Silver Arrow has been completely switched to development in 2026 after a race in Budapest on Sunday.
“There are no further upgrades,” Wolff told media including Crash.Net. “I think everything is completely focused and will be focused next year.
“Now we know that there is a more stable platform. We’ll bring some goodness. Let’s see how we can optimize checks and engineering in terms of finding the right setup that suits it.