Andrea Stella Challenges Mercedes’ Claim It Can’t Afford F1 Upgrades: “I actually don’t believe you”
McLaren Formula 1 team principal Andrea Stella has dismissed Toto Wolff’s claim that Mercedes lacks the budget to accelerate its car development programme.
Ferrari and McLaren have made major gains with their 2026 cars in recent weeks. Both teams have taken two victories, increasing the pressure on Mercedes after its earlier dominance.
Mercedes delays major F1 upgrade package
Mercedes has introduced only a limited number of aerodynamic upgrades compared with its rivals. The team is instead planning to bring a larger package to the October Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The delay could leave Mercedes vulnerable during the next three September races in Italy, Spain and Azerbaijan. Asked by Motosport.com after the Dutch Grand Prix whether the development strategy was becoming more difficult to justify amid McLaren’s rapid progress, Wolff said Mercedes was constrained by how its Brackley operation had allocated its $215m cost-cap allowance.
“We haven’t got the money to put developments on the car. I said before that we are trying to evenly split that through the season based on our calculations of when we can bring the biggest updates and optimising the championship points. But we just can’t do what we can’t do,” the Austrian said.
“You will see towards the end of the season whether they are going to be able to deploy as much stuff onto the car as they do now.
“Someone might have a different strategy in spending more at the beginning and the middle of the year than towards the end.”
When asked about Wolff’s comments, McLaren chief Stella expressed strong doubts about Mercedes’ financial explanation.
“I would like to believe you, but I actually don’t believe you.”
Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
McLaren points to additional 2026 cost-cap allowance
Stella’s scepticism relates partly to changes in the 2027 power-unit regulations. The rules will move Formula 1 towards a 57-43 split between combustion power and electrical energy, while also affecting specific areas of car design.
Teams have been granted an additional $3m cost-cap allowance that can be used in their 2026 or 2027 reporting to prepare for those changes. Stella said Mercedes could use that allowance to manufacture upgraded car components if it chose to do so.
“All teams will have an allowance in their reporting for the cost cap,” Stella said. “And if I’m not wrong, it’s like three million that you can use in the 2026 reporting for cost cap calculations. And I’m sure that Mercedes, having seen that their rivals are kind of elevating the game, I’m sure they will now cash in on their development that surely is happening in the ground.
“I’m sure the car in the wind tunnel is quite a bit faster than the car they have on track and they will want to now convert some of this potential into upgrades that make it to the real car. So, I’m just pretty sure that they will have upgrades. Obviously, it would be good if not, but I don’t even want to think about it…”
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