Toto Wolff: McLaren running “very different” setup to Mercedes
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff suggested that McLaren are approaching their power unit differently from the works Mercedes team, with gear ratios being a key area of divergence.
The comments came in response to McLaren and Williams raising questions over the Mercedes PU, noting that the factory team appears able to extract more performance than customer teams.
“McLaren are doing some things which are very different to what we are doing,” Wolff said, citing gear ratios as a prime example.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella previously highlighted a lack of information from Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, but after Sprint Qualifying in China, he confirmed that McLaren’s understanding of the power unit is improving:
“Our comprehension of the PU is progressing, and we are learning how to better extract performance,” Stella said.
Wolff’s comments underline the technical ingenuity and differing strategies among Mercedes-powered teams in the early stages of the 2026 season.
Wolff on Mercedes customers: McLaren will close the gap “soon”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes it’s only a matter of time before customer teams like McLaren catch up to the works team in extracting performance from the 2026 power unit.
“Everybody has a different concept also,” Wolff said. “With McLaren, without going into the detail, they have taken some decisions that are very different to ours, when it comes, for example, to gear ratios. So, that could have been good, or could have been bad.
“But it’s a brand new car. It is the works teams which have the nose ahead, but it’s just a matter of time, because you see what the others are doing. You have the exact same hardware, you have the exact same software.
“How do you simulate it best? I have no doubt McLaren is just a formidable structure. It’s not long before they’re going to be part of the fight at the front.”
McLaren progress in China
Following Sprint Qualifying in Shanghai, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella confirmed the team is making tangible progress in understanding the Mercedes power unit. Lando Norris secured P3 on the grid, six-tenths behind pole-sitter George Russell, while teammate Oscar Piastri was P5.
“In a way, I think so,” Stella said when asked if the Sprint qualifying results indicate progress.
“There are some signs of improvement, particularly in the way we understand how to use the power unit. There was less variability in the first practice session, more clarity on qualifying, and that translated into better lap times.
“It’s good to see McLaren can fight for the runner-up position together with Ferrari. Both Oscar and Lando drove very well, and it’s a strong starting point for the Sprint tomorrow.”
Stella’s comments underline McLaren’s steady adaptation to the 2026 Mercedes PU, suggesting that while Mercedes currently holds the advantage, customer teams are closing in as the season unfolds.