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Mercedes Plans to Cut Number of F1 Customer Teams in Next Cycle

Toto Wolff says the shift aims to ease production lead times and avoid locking designs too early.

Overview

  • Wolff said discussions with chairman Ola Källenius point to supplying fewer teams after the current contracts expire.
  • He indicated the optimal number of Mercedes-powered teams is likely between two and three in the next supply cycle.
  • For 2026, Mercedes will power its works team plus McLaren, Williams and Alpine, with customer deals running through 2030.
  • Supplying four teams means delivering 16 power units for the season opener, which stretches lead times and production capacity.
  • Mercedes HPP chief Hywel Thomas said more customers yield richer data but demand more hardware and earlier design commitments.