Toto Wolff expects Red Bull to be one of Mercedes’ main rivals in the 2027 Formula 1 season. His comments follow Max Verstappen’s recent resurgence.
The Red Bull driver has won the last two races. His dominant Singapore Grand Prix victory also highlighted the team’s growing pace.
Meanwhile, Mercedes are closing in on both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is also in contention to become F1’s youngest-ever world champion.
The upcoming United States Grand Prix takes place in Austin, Texas, from October 23-25. However, Wolff believes Mercedes will face a tougher challenge next season.
Wolff praises Red Bull resurgence
Wolff praised Red Bull’s progress after Verstappen’s dominant victory in Singapore.
“I really think that you need to take your hat off to what Red Bull has done this season,” he said.
The Mercedes boss highlighted the team’s car development. He also praised the way its overall package has improved.
Wolff then pointed to Verstappen’s ability to make the most of the car. He believes the Dutchman has been exceptionally quick at recent races.
Wolff also hopes Mercedes’ upcoming upgrade will improve its competitiveness. However, he expects Red Bull to remain a serious threat.
“Next year, it’s a full-on fight between the teams and Red Bull is part of that,” Wolff added.
Red Bull struggled to match the leading teams earlier in the season. However, improvements to the RB22 have helped Verstappen return to winning form.
Red Bull’s power unit impresses Wolff
Wolff also praised Red Bull’s power unit, which is the first developed in the team’s history.
“I haven’t seen the data yet from Singapore, but you can’t see that it’s lagging,” said Wolff.
“They have done it well. The ICE [Internal Combustion Engine] seems to be very competitive. Obviously, you can see that with the ADUO [ranking, which Red Bull have found to be leading] but also in terms of energy recovery and energy deployment, they’re pretty good.”
Red Bull’s recent improvement has come as the team looks to finish the 2026 season strongly, with Verstappen chasing a third consecutive victory at this weekend’s United States GP.
However, the team have already shifted much of their development focus towards 2027, with team principal Laurent Mekies confirming that no further substantial upgrades are planned for this season.
With Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all looking to challenge at the front, Wolff’s prediction points towards a competitive battle next year.
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