Wolff wary of Verstappen-style comeback as McLaren revive title challenge

Mercedes’ lead is under pressure

Toto Wolff admits Mercedes is “absolutely conscious” that its advantage in the 2026 title race could be eroded by a late-season comeback from McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Kimi Antonelli still leads the drivers’ championship by 59 points from Mercedes team-mate George Russell and 83 from Norris. However, the reigning champions emerged from the Hungarian and Dutch Grands Prix with two victories, giving McLaren renewed confidence that it can close the gap and defend its titles.

The precedent is Max Verstappen’s 2025 recovery. After the Dutch Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver was 104 points behind Oscar Piastri, but a powerful end-of-season run allowed him to overhaul the Australian. Verstappen ultimately finished just two points short of taking the drivers’ crown from Norris.

That example has added weight to the current threat, particularly after McLaren’s resurgence. Norris has already emerged as a major title threat after his second consecutive win, while Mercedes is attempting to protect a lead that remains substantial but no longer looks entirely secure.

Wolff points to Mercedes’ development limits

After the Zandvoort race, Wolff said Mercedes did not have the money to match McLaren or Ferrari’s upgrade spending. The team is operating within the financial realities of the cost cap, and its last major upgrade arrived at the Canadian Grand Prix in May.

Mercedes leads Ferrari by 87 points in the constructors’ standings and McLaren by 162. Yet Wolff made clear that the drivers’ championship cannot be viewed solely through the lens of Norris’ deficit. Lewis Hamilton, now racing for Ferrari, is also 59 points behind Antonelli.

“Yeah, I mean, absolutely conscious of the fact, but it is not only Norris, but we also have a [59]-point gap to Lewis,” Wolff told media, including RacingNews365, when asked about McLaren’s renewed threat.

“That’s something you need to be worried about, so it is going to be tough, and it could become tighter.”

Mercedes must recover momentum

Wolff’s answer underlined the scale of the task facing Mercedes. With opposition capable of winning races, the championship leader cannot afford a drop in execution.

“We just need to do the optimum job every single weekend, every single session, every single weekend,” he said.

He acknowledged that McLaren had won at two circuits where it had been particularly strong in previous years. For Mercedes, the immediate objective is therefore clear: regain momentum before its points advantage is gradually transformed into a genuine title fight.

“We have opposition that is good enough to win races, and they’ve done two now on tracks where they’ve been very, very good in the previous years also, so let’s see if we can regain some momentum.”