According to the well-known German website, Mercedes appears to be clearly ahead of the competition with their 2026 power units.
The new era of Formula 1 will officially begin in 2026, but in recent weeks, it has already stirred quite a bit of commotion within the paddock. During the Bahrain Grand Prix, the FIA held a meeting with the team principals of the eleven teams that will compete in the next championship, to analyze the shortcomings of the new era and discuss a potential return to V10 engines — an idea that ultimately led nowhere.
Concerns over the potential performance of the new cars and difficulties surrounding the new power units led the F1 Commission to meet on Thursday — but no real decision was made. According to reports from Germany, it’s now almost certain that the FIA will not further revise the new regulations, effectively rejecting the proposals from Ferrari and Red Bull, who had requested a different distribution of electric energy.
The insistence from both teams, according to Auto Motor und Sport, stems from a significant delay in the development of their new power units for the 2026 season — a crucial setback, considering the new era is less than a year away. Internal sources within the teams suggest that even Ferrari is behind schedule, to a degree that could jeopardize their competitiveness for the 2026 car.
By contrast, Mercedes has reportedly taken a leading role in all the meetings held so far, and it’s not out of the question that the Silver Arrows already enjoy a substantial advantage over their rivals. It’s a situation that in some ways mirrors 2014 — and twelve years later, history might repeat itself. Will Mercedes dominate once again?