{
  "id": 2838018,
  "title": "Mercedes lack money to develop car like rivals - Wolff",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/mercedes-lack-money-to-develop-car-like-rivals-wolff",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-23T18:13:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mercedes-lack-money-develop-car-181331145.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, revealed that his team lacks the funds to develop a car at the same pace as their rivals. Mercedes led the championship with six victories at the start of the season, but Ferrari and McLaren have matched them, with two wins each in the subsequent six races following major upgrades to their cars. Lando Norris secured his second consecutive win at the Dutch Grand Prix, marking his second win in a row. Ferrari and McLaren introduced new parts in Zandvoort after a major upgrade in Hungary, while Mercedes had introduced their last major car development at the Canadian Grand Prix, the fifth race of the 12 that have taken place. Wolff stated that they could not allocate funds evenly throughout the season based on their calculations of when they could bring the most significant updates and optimise their championship points. He emphasized that each upgrade would give the top teams at least a few tenths of a second advantage, and they were losing that advantage. Wolff was challenged on the point that McLaren and Ferrari had the money to improve their cars, but he responded that they might deploy more resources towards the end of the season. Mercedes' next major upgrade is expected in four races at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. However, before then, Antonelli is expected to receive a grid penalty at the Italian Grand Prix, his home race. Mercedes believes that Monza's long straights, which leverage a fresh new engine, make it an optimal race for introducing a new engine that brings Antonelli over his allowance for the season. Wolff admitted that their calculations suggested Monza as the best track for the upgrade, but he did not want to fight for the championship and gain the best PR. Mercedes is leading Ferrari by 87 points and McLaren by 162 points in the constructors' championship.",
  "summary": "Toto Wolff says Mercedes \"haven't got the money\" to develop at the same rhythm as their championship rivals.",
  "key_points": [
    "Mercedes lacks funds to develop car like rivals",
    "Ferrari and McLaren have matched Mercedes with upgrades",
    "Next major upgrade expected at Bahrain Grand Prix"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}