Wolff: Mercedes must respond after rivals’ gains ahead of Canadian Grand Prix
20th May 2026Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff says the team must respond after rivals made progress earlier in the season, with the Canadian Grand Prix beginning an important run of races which sees the season go into its European section.
Feature image credit: Mercedes F1
The Brackley squad heads to Montréal looking to build momentum after a Miami weekend that saw their competitors take a step forward.
Wolff once again confirmed the widely reported upgrade that Mercedes will run at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and he wants to respond to the performance of his competitors in Miami.
“We head to Canada ready to get back into a regular rhythm of racing,” Wolff said in the team’s Canadian Grand Prix preview.
“Our competitors took a step forward in Miami and we need to respond; seven Grands Prix in 10 weekends before shutdown is an opportunity to do that and build momentum.
“We bring our first update package of the year to Montréal, but we know that performance is only performance once it is delivered on track.”
Wolff emphasised that the 2026 campaign remains in its early stages and wants to take each weekend as it comes.
He said: “Despite being in the middle of May, we are just four races into the season.
“There is a long year ahead and, whilst this is an important weekend, it will not decide any outcomes.
“We will stay balanced, keep learning, and execute each weekend as well as we can.
“We won’t get too high when we succeed or too low in the difficult moments; that is as true for our drivers as it is for the rest of the team.”
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