Mercedes Warned of F1 Threat as Steiner Predicts "Tremendous" Development Rate in 2026

Former Haas boss Guenther Steiner believes other teams will soon challenge Mercedes' strong start to the 2026 season.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 1:19pm

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Guenther Steiner, the former Haas Formula 1 team principal, believes Mercedes will face threats from rival teams this year due to the high rate of development expected in the 2026 season. Despite Mercedes' dominant start, Steiner warned against assuming their strong streak will continue, saying other teams will learn more about managing their power units and unlocking more performance from their existing packages.

Why it matters

Mercedes has jumped out to an early lead in the 2026 F1 season, but Steiner's comments suggest the competitive landscape could shift dramatically as the year progresses. This highlights the importance of in-season development and how quickly the competitive order can change in Formula 1.

The details

After the first two rounds, Mercedes leads the constructors' standings with 98 points, 31 more than Ferrari in second. George Russell won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and Chinese sprint race, while his teammate Kimi Antonelli claimed his maiden F1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. However, Steiner believes other Mercedes-powered teams like McLaren will learn more about managing their power units, and that the overall development rate will be "tremendous" this year, allowing other teams to potentially take the fight to Mercedes.

  • The next round of the F1 season will take place at the Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix, beginning today from 27-29 March.
  • There will then be a five-week break due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April, before the Miami Grand Prix from 1-3 May.

The players

Guenther Steiner

The former Haas Formula 1 team principal who believes Mercedes will face threats from rival teams in 2026 due to the high rate of development expected this season.

Mercedes

The dominant Formula 1 team that has jumped out to an early lead in the 2026 season, but faces the prospect of being challenged as other teams unlock more performance from their existing packages.

George Russell

The Mercedes driver who won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and Chinese sprint race.

Kimi Antonelli

The Mercedes driver who claimed his maiden F1 win at the Chinese Grand Prix.

McLaren

One of the Mercedes-powered teams that Steiner believes will learn more about managing their power units and unlock more performance this season.

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What they’re saying

“The only thing that I would say is that we jump to the conclusion, 'Oh this will be now Mercedes until the end of the year.' I think the other Mercedes [powered] teams will learn more about their car, how to manage their PU, McLaren more than anybody else. I think Mercedes will be strong, but will somebody take the fight to them? I think so. I think at some stage somebody will take the fight to them because the development this year will be tremendous.”

— Guenther Steiner, Former Haas Formula 1 team principal

What’s next

The next round of the F1 season will take place at the Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix, beginning today from 27-29 March.

The takeaway

Mercedes has enjoyed a dominant start to the 2026 F1 season, but Guenther Steiner's comments suggest the competitive landscape could shift dramatically as the year progresses. With a high rate of in-season development expected, other teams may soon be able to challenge Mercedes' supremacy, highlighting the importance of continuous innovation in Formula 1.