Mercedes Secures Ninth Constructors’ Championship in 2026

In the fading light of São Paulo, a familiar silver silhouette returned to the top of Formula 1. Mercedes, written off by many during their post-2021 slump, walked out of Brazil as 2026 Constructors’ World Champions – and did it with a weekend that felt more like a confirmation than a surprise.

They only needed to keep Ferrari at arm’s length. They did far more than that. George Russell’s P4 and newly crowned World Champion Kimi Antonelli’s P5 were enough to slam the door on any late challenge from Maranello and lock in Mercedes’ first teams’ title since 2021.

Nine. That’s the new number next to their name in the record books.

Nine Constructors’ Championships, level with Williams and trailing only Ferrari’s 16 and McLaren’s 10. A modern powerhouse now statistically aligned with one of the sport’s great historic empires.

Toto Wolff, the architect of this era, allowed himself a rare moment of reflection after the race.

“I’m so proud for the organisation,” he said, the relief unmistakable. “We’ve taken a few years to be back on the top spot. Not many teams have been able to come back from such a situation.

“And it just shows that, you know, the great work, the great people that we have in our organisation. And it’s fantastic to be among them.”

This was not a title won in continuity. It was built through upheaval. The 2026 regulations ripped up the rulebook, reshaping both aerodynamics and power units. Many teams talked about the reset. Mercedes lived inside it.

Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin didn’t hide the scale of the effort.

“We’ve never put so much effort into a new set of regulations,” he admitted. “We had periods where it looked like we were going to get there, and then you weren’t, and you have all these setbacks. When you’ve finally done it again, it’s just immensely satisfying.

“And, you know, no one gave up. They just kept pushing, kept working hard. There was obviously a big rule change this year. We’ve never put so much effort into a new set of regulations.”

The payoff was brutal for the rest of the grid. Mercedes hit the ground running in 2026 and never really let go. The paddock knew they had shifted focus early, sacrificing part of last season to get a jump on the new era. That gamble became the foundation of a title run.

Rivals recognised it. Some with admiration, some with a hint of warning.

McLaren, the outgoing champions, led the applause. CEO Zak Brown wrote on X: “Congratulations to Mercedes and HPP on securing the Constructors’ Championship title after an impressive season. Looking forward to fighting you for it again next year.”

Team Principal Andrea Stella echoed the sentiment in the media pen.

“[I want to] congratulate Mercedes on winning the Constructors’ Championship,” he said. “Formula 1 is operating, like I’ve been saying for some time, at very, very high level, very high standards.

“So to be able to win in this kind of competitive context is a reflection of great work that must have happened at Mercedes, so they deserve to be certainly acknowledged.”

From the red garage came a more personal salute. Lewis Hamilton, now in Ferrari colours but forever intertwined with Mercedes’ golden age, watched his former team reclaim the trophy they once treated as their own.

“Congratulations guys, am so happy for you all. So well deserved,” he posted on Instagram, a seven-time champion tipping his cap to the team with whom he won six of those titles and eight straight Constructors’ crowns.

Red Bull, too, had to concede the scale of the achievement. Team Principal Laurent Mekies summed up what many had seen from the timing screens all year.

“I think they have done an outstanding job. We all recall how dominant they were at the start of the season,” he said. “And of course, we knew they had switched earlier than most [last year to focus on 2026], but it’s something to switch earlier than most, something else to convert it into lap time, and that’s what they have done.

“And you know they started the season with more than a second advantage on us, so they have obviously done a very good job, so well done to them.”

The scale of Mercedes’ resurgence was not lost on the sport’s leadership either. Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali framed it as both a milestone and a marker in the championship’s history.

“My huge congratulations to everyone at the Mercedes Formula 1 Team on becoming 2026 Constructors’ World Champions. Reaching the summit of Formula 1 is never the achievement of one person alone,” he said.

“It is the result of extraordinary talent, relentless determination and the shared belief of hundreds of people, at the circuit and back at the factory, all united by the same ambition. Every single member of this team should feel incredibly proud of what they have achieved.

“This is also a moment that will have a special place in the history of our sport. With his ninth Constructors’ title, my friend Toto Wolff draws level with the great Sir Frank Williams, one of Formula 1’s true legends. To stand alongside Frank in the record books is an extraordinary achievement and a powerful testament to Toto’s leadership, vision and relentless pursuit of excellence over so many years.”

There it is in black and white: Wolff now shoulder to shoulder with Sir Frank Williams on nine Constructors’ titles. A modern operator joining a giant of the past in a chapter few imagined when Mercedes stumbled under the weight of the previous regulation cycle.

And then there is the other half of the story. While the team wrapped up the Constructors’ crown, Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Drivers’ World Champion in history. A new face at the top, in a familiar silver car, turning 2026 into a landmark season.

“To win the Constructors’ Championship in the same season that Kimi Antonelli became the youngest ever Drivers’ World Champion makes 2026 truly unforgettable for Mercedes and for Formula 1,” Domenicali added. “This is what our sport is all about: dreaming big, pushing beyond the limits, and proving what is possible when great people come together with one shared purpose.

“Mercedes have returned to the very top, and in doing so have written another remarkable chapter in the history of Formula 1.”

The message is clear. The era of silver dominance, once thought over, has found a second act. The question now is not how Mercedes came back. It’s how long they intend to stay.