Toto Wolff has revealed his hopes for a Mercedes versus Ferrari title fight in 2026. After signs of improvement for the German team at the Hungaroring, Wolff appears to be looking forward to next season.
The Mercedes boss has been vocal about the team’s ambitions for the second half of the season and beyond, with the drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, looking set to remain with the team next season, as a new era of regulations dawns.
Toto Wolff wants to see his drivers go head-to-head with Ferrari
Speaking with Gazzetta Motori, Wolff discussed next year’s championship and the progression of other teams under the soon-to-be implemented 2026 regulations, but his standout comments were about the rivalry he’d like to see with the historic Italian team.
He said: “Seeing Ferrari against Mercedes would be wonderful. A classic. And Lewis and Charles against Kimi and George? An incredible challenge.
“An Italian driver against an Italian car: can you imagine?”
Wolff elaborated that he believes Ferrari will have a strong car next season, and that he will not count out Aston Martin, whose partnership with Honda could really shake up the grid. With Red Bull set to introduce their new engine and the addition of Audi, the team boss believes only time will tell as to who has hit the nail on the head.
Could we see a Ferrari vs Mercedes battle anytime soon?
Going into 2026, we do not know who will come out on top, but both teams are fixated on car performance in the coming seasons. While Ferrari has had their fair share of reliability issues over the last few years, Mercedes has always built a reliable engine, only starting to struggle with development once the cars moved into the era of ground effect regulations.
With the 2026 season set to be closely based around the power unit, it suggests good chances for Mercedes to return to their former glory. Ferrari also appears confident going into next season, despite current struggles with the car for Leclerc and especially Hamilton. The British driver has been working closely with different sectors of the team to build on his performance and provide insight into next year’s model.
Hamilton has been vocal about wanting Ferrari’s 2026 contender to have his “DNA”, after struggles at Spa-Francorchamps and the Hungaroring.
With Leclerc and Hamilton set to stay in red, and the Mercedes drivers on the brink of signing with the Silver Arrows for 2026, do we think Toto Wolff will get his dream title fight?
