‘It’s full on’ – Wolff issues Red Bull warning after Verstappen resurgence

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says the fight with Red Bull is “full on” after Max Verstappen won consecutive Formula 1 Grands Prix in Malaysia and Singapore.

Red Bull went without a Grand Prix victory through the opening 15 rounds before Verstappen won at Sepang. He followed that by dominating the Singapore weekend, taking both pole positions and winning the Sprint and Grand Prix. Wolff says Mercedes must keep pushing over the remaining six rounds despite the team leading both championships.

Wolff: Red Bull is ‘coming strong’

“It’s full on,” Wolff told Formula 1 when asked about Red Bull’s recent improvement. “Red Bull is coming strong,” he added, with Mercedes now preparing for the final six races of the season.

Verstappen’s victory at Sepang was Red Bull’s first Grand Prix win of 2026. A week later, he was again the driver to beat at Marina Bay.

The Dutchman started Sunday’s race from pole and finished 7.3 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc to claim his first Singapore Grand Prix victory. He had already beaten Lewis Hamilton to victory in Saturday’s Sprint. The two wins came at contrasting circuits, with Sepang’s faster layout followed by the slower corners and street-circuit demands of Singapore.

Mercedes still leads both championships

Kimi Antonelli remains in control of the drivers’ championship after finishing third in Singapore, extending his advantage over Mercedes team-mate George Russell to 102 points. Verstappen is 119 points behind Antonelli and has little margin left if he is to remain in contention. Antonelli, meanwhile, will have his first opportunity to secure the championship at the United States Grand Prix.

Our Austin title permutations explain what Antonelli needs from Russell and Lewis Hamilton to become world champion in Texas. The season resumes at the Circuit of The Americas on 23–25 October before consecutive races in Mexico City and São Paulo. Our remaining 2026 F1 schedule has all six races, dates and UK start times.

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