Mercedes plans to try and bring “something more sizeable onto the track” after the Formula 1 summer break in a bid to pull away from title rivals Ferrari.
The German manufacturer has been the class of the field under the new-for-2026 regulations, and leads both the Teams’ and Drivers’ standings ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend.
But Ferrari has steadily become a threat to the Silver Arrows, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc helping the Scuderia to win two out of the last three races, as well as leading the way during Friday practice in Budapest.
Speaking ahead of Free Practice 2 on Friday, Mercedes’ Deputy Technical Director Simone Resta admitted that Mercedes was targeting a bigger upgrade once F1 returns for the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.
“Ultimately, I think we tried to have a strong development for the first race from winter testing and then we’ve had almost every race, a little step here and there, and then another big step in Canada,” said Resta.
“We always try to keep bringing little steps here and there every race. Of course, we have seen teams bringing more stuff than us, which is great for them, and we are still trying to bring every race some items.
“Probably we try to focus after the shutdown something more sizeable onto the track. We are clearly focused on trying to develop the car at every event, but also trying to think bigger with bringing another step on the car.”
Ferrari in particular has brought a plethora of upgrades during the season in a bid to catch Mercedes, but the Italian team is still considered not to be on par, such was Mercedes’ advantage at the start of the year.
When asked what aspect in particular Mercedes were pleased about with their 2026 challenger, Resta added: “I suppose the car has been quite competitive in all conditions, so probably there is not a single aspect that is really dominating all the others.
“But I think the car is good in balance in various aspects between the chassis and suspension, the power unit integration and the cooling, tyre management. So far it’s been good.”
