– Mercedes was able to shine with a double victory for the second time this season at the Italian Grand Prix. The team from Brackley has double reason to celebrate, because while the competition is only slowly chipping away at the gap to the Silver Arrows, they have managed to extend their lead in the championship without major upgrades.
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The situation is clear: McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull are trying to reduce the gap to Mercedes with regular upgrades. Both the engines and chassis have been worked on diligently, with visible success. McLaren was recently able to win two Grand Prix races in a row with Lando Norris.
At Mercedes, the situation looked a bit different: since the Canadian Grand Prix, there has been no upgrade package for the W17. The reason for this is the team’s cost calculation. “We don’t have the money to bring developments to the car,” said team principal Toto Wolff.
Due to the budget cap, teams no longer have the opportunity to come to the track week after week with new parts. The arms race has become a strategic battle on how to use one’s resources most efficiently.
In this context, the 2026 Silver Arrow is no longer the undisputed class leader compared to the start of the season. Especially in terms of downforce, McLaren has caught up massively in fast corners, and depending on the track, Ferrari or Max Verstappen have also been able to scratch at Mercedes’ dominance. At Zandvoort, for example, George Russell still had a lot of trouble defending himself against the attacks of the two red cars from Maranello.
Nevertheless, Russell and Antonelli were still able to secure important podium places for the team. A consistency that pays off enormously after the summer break.
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Because on a circuit that on paper plays into Mercedes’ hands, they were not only able to win but dominate. In the adjusted race pace, Antonelli was over half a second ahead of Max Verstappen at the end. Hamilton and both McLarens were at least seven tenths of a second off his pace.
With the victory in Monza, Mercedes thus receives an important confirmation: yes, the path taken for 2026 was and is the right one, at least currently. Instead of throwing their own plans overboard in a panic, they kept a cool head. How the W17 will perform, for example, at the Madrid circuit is another question. After all, different characteristics are required here than in the royal park of Monza.
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In the constructors’ championship, Mercedes leads Ferrari by 122 points ahead of the Madrid race weekend. In the drivers’ championship, Kimi Antonelli is at the top with 267 points and enjoys a buffer of 66 points over second-placed George Russell.
Lewis Hamilton is in third place in the championship, already 76 points behind Antonelli. And although circuits like Madrid or Singapore could pose a big challenge for the W17, they still have a big ace up their sleeve.
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Around the race in Malaysia, we can expect the next big upgrade package from Mercedes. Only then will it become clear how the balance of power will look until the end of the season.
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