(Motorsport-Total.com) – The Mercedes team has completely dominated the first three race weekends of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Silver Arrows won all three main races including the sprint in China – but it wasn’t always easy. Ferrari in particular was able to exert pressure regularly at the start of races and provided close duels.
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A look at the data shows a clear picture, however: The season seems much closer than it actually is. Mercedes’ dominance is currently underestimated. Especially weak starts bring the competition within striking distance in the first place – but even then, the opponents ultimately fight with blunt weapons.
After the first three race weekends, Ferrari is the closest pursuer. However, the gap averages 0,56 seconds in qualifying and 0,53 seconds per lap in race trim. This puts Ferrari at almost the same distance from the top as last year.
Mercedes pace 2026: Greatest dominance of a team in 10 years
A look into the past illustrates how extraordinary this lead is. In 2025, McLaren had the dominant car, but was on average only 0,19 seconds ahead of Red Bull.
Also in 2023, when Max Verstappen won 19 out of 22 races, Red Bull’s average qualifying lead over Ferrari was only 0,19 seconds. Only in 2020 do comparable gaps appear: back then, Mercedes distanced Red Bull by an average of 0,55 seconds.
It becomes even more impressive when looking at 2016: Mercedes dominated then too and was on average 0,74 seconds ahead of Red Bull in qualifying. That is the last time a team had a larger lead than Mercedes currently has.
Even Vettel and Schumacher dominance not at Mercedes level
Probably the most dominant phase for Mercedes began with the introduction of the hybrid era. In 2014, the average lead over the second force Red Bull was 0,83 seconds – the greatest dominance of a team since the turn of the millennium.
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Even the most successful dominance phases of other teams do not reach these values. Neither Red Bull in the Vettel era from 2010 to 2013 nor Ferrari in the Schumacher era were able to achieve comparable gaps.
Ferrari’s largest lead was 0,37 seconds over McLaren in 2001. Red Bull’s best value dates back to 2010 with a 0,4-second lead over Ferrari in qualifying. In comparison, Mercedes in 2026 is clearly moving at a historical level.
Is the hybrid era repeating itself?
The data suggests that the current Mercedes dominance is reaching historical proportions – even if this was not always obvious in the first races. Close duels and weak starts distort the overall picture.
If Mercedes has a clear track, the team is currently hard to beat. Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull lack the means to exert sustained pressure – they are fighting with blunt weapons. The crucial question is therefore: How quickly can the competition catch up?
A look back shows that at the beginning of the hybrid era, it took four years before a team could seriously challenge Mercedes. It wasn’t until 2018 that Ferrari was on average only 0,08 seconds behind.
However, the conditions today are somewhat different: the current lead is large, but smaller than in 2014. In addition, the regulations – keyword ADUO – allow the competition to close in faster on the engine side. Nevertheless, much currently suggests that the 2026 World Championship will only go through Mercedes.