The much-anticipated year 2026 in Formula 1 is just around the corner, and one of the heavyweights in the paddock has already weighed in. Toto Wolff, head of the Mercedes team, has revealed his surprising prediction for next season, the first with new regulations and where teams will have to deal with the biggest change in the history of the sport.
Wolff, one of the leading voices in the Grand Prix circuit, has placed Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso in contention with the top teams. The Mercedes CEO did not go into detail about whether the Silverstone team will be fighting for podiums or something more. However, he does expect “a lot” from Aston Martin, a team that is sixth in the Constructors’ Championship and has been stuck at the bottom of the table for much of the season. Little by little, they are getting back on track.
“I expect Ferrari to be very competitive in 2026,” said Wolff, in a rather safe prediction given the potential resources of the Scuderia and its two drivers, even though Lewis Hamilton is not going through his best days in Formula 1. The Mercedes team boss is also confident in the potential of Aston Martin, an ambitious and growing project. “On the other hand, Honda has proven its strength in the recent past. I expect a lot from them in their partnership with Aston Martin,” he revealed to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Aston Martin’s potential with Honda
Wolff has faith in Honda for next year, perhaps because of its recent successes with Red Bull. The Japanese brand will supply the power unit to Alonso and Stroll, replacing Mercedes, which is currently responsible for this task. At Mercedes, they believe that all the pieces of the Aston Martin puzzle are falling into place and that they can put up a fight next season. The British firm has the most modern factory in Formula 1, recently expanded, and not long ago unveiled its own wind tunnel to stop being a Mercedes customer. It has a state-of-the-art simulator and renowned engineers such as Adrian Newey, Andy Cowell, and Enrico Cardille, who started work at Silverstone a few days ago.
With all these assets and Alonso at the wheel, it is only a matter of time before Aston Martin triumphs. In the corridors of Silverstone, as this newspaper has learned, they are hoping to take a step forward next year and get closer to fighting for podium finishes. This would prove Toto Wolff right and close the gap with the four leading teams. There is total uncertainty ahead of 2026, and we will have to wait for the first races to see how the grid shapes up and where Aston Martin stands after the winter. In the meantime, the goal is to take fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship from Williams.
Wolff believes that there will be a lot of parity and considers the preseason to be key after the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi, the last race: “Then there’s Red Bull with the new engines, there’s Audi…Everyone wants to be ready and competitive, and we’ll see who has worked best.” 2026 will bring strong emotions, and Alonso wants to be in the front row to enjoy them.