Beaten by McLaren, Mercedes takes heart in customer’s success

Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff is finding a bright side to his works team being outshone by engine customer McLaren, who clinched their second consecutive Constructors’ Championship in Singapore.

While the papaya squad’s dominance might sting for the Silver Arrows, Wolff sees a powerful validation of Mercedes’ engineering prowess – and a roadmap for their own resurgence.

As the team heads into the United States Grand Prix, Wolff’s optimism is palpable, fueled by recent successes and a hunger to keep pushing the W16’s limits.

McLaren’s Success Proves Mercedes’ Power

McLaren’s back-to-back titles, sealed in Marina Bay despite George Russell’s stellar victory for Mercedes, have showcased the raw potential of the German manufacturer’s power unit.

For Wolff, this isn’t a moment to dwell on defeat but to celebrate a clear strength.

“I think that such internal competition has its advantages,” he told reporters, quoted by RACER. “It avoids any discussion whether the power unit is one of the root causes that the chassis isn't so good.

“Are we putting too much torque on the tyres? Is the drivability of the engine good or not? And seeing a team run away with a championship like McLaren over the last two years is just a proof that it can be done.”

The McLaren benchmark, Wolff argues, is a testament to meticulous engineering and execution.

“In that way, you look at the car and I think it's just very good engineering and executed in the right way. It's definitely the benchmark of the last two or so years,” he said.

For Mercedes, who’ve managed just two wins in 2025 against McLaren’s commanding run, the message is clear: the engine isn’t the issue – it’s about unlocking the chassis’ full potential. With McLaren’s success as proof of concept, Wolff’s team is laser-focused on closing the gap.

Momentum Builds for the Americas

Mercedes heads to Austin this week sitting second in the Constructors’ Championship, 27 points ahead of Ferrari and 35 clear of Red Bull.

Russell’s victory in Singapore and Kimi Antonelli’s fifth-place finish marked one of the team’s strongest showings of 2025, and has naturally elevated the Silver Arrows outfit’s expectations next weekend’s round of racing at The Circuit of the Americas.

“We come off the back of a strong result in Singapore, taking victory with George and P5 for Kimi,” Wolff said in Mercedes’ US Grand Prix race preview. “Not only was that unexpected, our level of performance across Saturday and Sunday showed it was no fluke.

“That has been the story of the season somewhat, where it isn't clear which team will be leading the way from weekend to weekend. We were also good in Azerbaijan, so we are curious to see if we can maintain the step we have made with the W16 into this next run of races across the Americas.

“They are very different layouts and challenges to those two street circuits, so we are heading a little into the unknown, but that unpredictability is what makes our sport so enjoyable.”

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McLaren may have set the benchmark, but Wolff’s outlook remains characteristically pragmatic – and quietly optimistic.

With momentum swinging their way and the W16 coming into its own, Mercedes is using its customer’s success not as a reminder of defeat, but as a roadmap back to the top.

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