The season opener in Melbourne sparked debate after Mercedes locked out the front row and converted that pace into victory, while several of its customer teams appeared unable to match the works team’s efficiency.
Analysis of the race weekend suggested Mercedes was able to deploy and harvest electrical energy more effectively than rivals using the same engine, allowing George Russell to remain competitive both in the corners and on the straights.
That contrast was particularly notable against teams such as McLaren and Williams, who admitted they were surprised by the scale of the gap.
Wolff played down suggestions that Mercedes held an advantage beyond what its customers receive, pointing instead to the steep learning curve that accompanies a new technical era.
“I think it’s clear when you roll out new regulations, there’s so much to learn,” Wolff said.
“Whether you have a customer that’s on your gearbox or suspension, and in the same way on the power units, the development slope is very steep and you can never deploy things to make everybody happy.
“But I think most important is we’re trying to provide a good service, and that’s always the way.”
The new regulations introduced for 2026 place far greater emphasis on electrical energy deployment and harvesting, meaning teams must carefully manage how and when the battery is used throughout a lap.
Even small variations in driving style or strategy can significantly influence performance.
Mercedes’ customer teams have acknowledged they may still be learning how to unlock the full potential of the new package, with McLaren and Williams both admitting they were surprised by the pace difference in Melbourne.
Russell, however, suggested the explanation is more straightforward: Mercedes simply executed better across the whole package.
“The truth is last year we had the same engine as them and McLaren did a better job than us and they beat us,” Russell said.
“Now McLaren have got the same engine as us, the same as Williams and the same as Alpine, and so far we’ve done a better job than them.
“So that’s just how the game goes.”
