Monza already behind us says Toto Wolff as Mercedes focus now switches to Madring

Mercedes took a one-two at the Italian Grand Prix, with Kimi Antonelli winning from 19th on the grid, while George Russell was second fastest on a day when the W17 flexed its muscles around Monza with its power-demanding straights.

"Monza was one of our strongest weekends of the season and a significant result for everyone at Brixworth and Brackley," Wolff reflected. "The team executed very well, the drivers delivered, and we extracted the maximum from our package.

"We can be pleased with that, but it is already behind us. Our focus switched to Madrid as soon as we left Italy," the Austrian added.

While Formula 1 raced in Madrid before (nine times between 1968 and 1979), it now returns to the Spanish capital but a new venue, the Madring, which will be a major challenge for the teams who have no historical data about the track as they are still getting on top of managing their 2026 cars.

"This weekend presents a completely different challenge," Wolff said. "The circuit characteristics are much closer to somewhere like Budapest or Zandvoort.

"We are therefore expecting a very close-fought weekend," he predicted. "Our task is to understand the demands of the track in Madrid as quickly as possible and maximize our performance from the first session onwards. New circuits create opportunities and unknowns in equal measure."

Wolff went on to hail the attractiveness of Formula 1, saying: "Madrid is a global destination city, and racing there is another significant step forward for our sport.

"The fact that an iconic capital like Madrid wants to join the calendar shows the strength of our sport and the momentum we continue to build around the world," he concluded.