Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has declared the team’s consistently poor race starts as “not acceptable” for a squad targeting both Formula 1 world championships this season. Despite maintaining a perfect four wins from four races record, the Silver Arrows have struggled significantly with their getaways, particularly affecting championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s early-race positioning.
The statistics paint a concerning picture for Mercedes’ title ambitions. Through the opening three race weekends of the 2026 season, Antonelli dropped a combined 18 positions during first lap incidents. The Miami Grand Prix weekend compounded these issues, with the German driver losing six places at the sprint race start and an additional two positions when the main race began.
Wolff emphasized that the drivers bear no responsibility for these disappointing starts, placing the blame squarely on the team’s technical preparation. “It’s not at all on him,” Wolff told Autosport regarding Antonelli’s struggles. “I think today and yesterday was a team mistake. And it’s just, we all know, it’s just not good enough. We’re not doing a good enough job in giving them a tool in their hands, whether it’s the clutch or the grip estimates.”
The Austrian team boss expressed particular frustration during interviews with Sky Sports Germany, describing the starting problems as something that requires immediate attention. “We need to fix it – we’ve been watching this for far too long,” Wolff stated, acknowledging that such fundamental issues cannot persist if Mercedes hopes to maintain their championship challenge against increasingly competitive rivals like McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull, all of whom brought significant upgrades to Miami.