WOLFF WARY OF RED BULL'S GROWING THREAT TO MERCEDES

Max Verstappen swept Singapore with pole and wins in both the Sprint and Grand Prix, his second straight dominant weekend after breaking through in Malaysia. The streak has Toto Wolff acknowledging the threat Red Bull poses heading into next season, even as Mercedes closes in on both 2026 titles.

Wolff credited Red Bull's development curve and Verstappen's ability to extract everything once the car suits him. "You need to take your hat off for what Red Bull has done this season," he said. "Next year it's full on."

Mercedes brought a major upgrade to Malaysia but remains uncertain about its potential. In Singapore, they ran split specs—Kimi Antonelli on the new parts, George Russell on the older Baku-winning configuration. Antonelli finished third; Russell salvaged P9 from the back after power unit penalties. Wolff admits the new car demands a different setup philosophy and hasn't yet delivered expected performance. Austin will show whether the upgrade defines their 2027 direction.