Mercedes seek answers after 2026 Dutch GP pace

Mercedes were reported to be investigating their Dutch Grand Prix pace after Andrew Shovlin flagged high-speed corner weakness and inconsistency.

Mercedes were reported to be looking into their lack of pace after the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Autosport and Motorsport.com reported that trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said the car was weak in the circuit’s high-speed corners and that the team was trying to understand why its performance varied across the race and between its two drivers.

Separate reports from BBC Sport and Autosport said team principal Toto Wolff believed Mercedes could not match the development rate of rivals such as McLaren and Ferrari. BBC Sport also covered Mercedes’ weekend in its Dutch Grand Prix driver ratings.

The setback lands at an important point in the season for Mercedes and George Russell. Russell, born on 15 February 1998, was second in the 2026 drivers’ championship on 183 points, with seven wins from 161 Formula 1 starts, while Mercedes’ record stands at 138 wins and eight titles across 19 seasons.