Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that the team's poor race starts are 'not acceptable' if it aims to win the 2026 Formula 1 world titles. Despite four wins from four grands prix, including Miami, Wolff blamed team issues for driver Kimi Antonelli losing positions at the starts. He emphasized the need to address this as rivals close in.
Mercedes has secured maximum points with four victories after four Formula 1 grands prix in 2026, but the competition narrowed significantly at the Miami Grand Prix. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli lost 18 places on the first laps of the opening three races, plus six in Miami's sprint and two more in the main race. Wolff cleared Antonelli of blame, telling Autosport, “It's not at all on him. I think today and yesterday was a team mistake. And it's just, we all know, it's just not good enough.” He added to Sky Sports Germany that the starts are “not acceptable” for title contenders and that “we need to fix it – we've been watching this for far too long.”While McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull brought upgrades to Florida, Mercedes plans its first major package for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, expected to boost Antonelli and George Russell. Wolff acknowledged that early advantages masked the start problems but warned, “We just have to dig even deeper... because I agree with you that the gaps are not big enough to cruise into the sunset. And therefore you can't be missing starts.”The FIA's new “low power start detection” system, tested in Miami and Montreal, will not aid teams like Mercedes. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis clarified to media, including Autosport, “What this would convert is a disastrous start to a bad one. It would not convert a bad one to a good one.” The measure aims to prevent safety risks, not fix performance issues, leaving Mercedes to solve its starts internally amid Ferrari's turbo advantage.
