Mercedes has won eight of 11 races in 2026, reviving comparisons with the dominant McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes teams of the past.
Mercedes has reached Formula 1’s summer break with eight victories from 11 Grands Prix in 2026. The Silver Arrows are winning at a 72.7% rate, adding another commanding stretch to a team history already defined by sustained dominance.
Mercedes sets the pace
Kimi Antonelli has delivered six Mercedes victories, taking wins in China, Japan, Miami, Canada, Monaco and Belgium. George Russell secured the other two in Australia and Austria.
Only Ferrari and McLaren have beaten Mercedes. Ferrari won at Barcelona-Catalunya and Silverstone, while McLaren prevailed in Hungary. Mercedes swept the opening six rounds, with Russell winning the opener before Antonelli reeled off five consecutive victories.
The benchmark from Mercedes’ first dynasty
The 2026 run has revived comparisons with Mercedes’ defining spell in the turbo-hybrid era. From 2014 through 2021, the team secured eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships, the longest sequence in Formula 1 history.
Mercedes won 16 of 19 races in 2014 and collected another 16 victories in 2015. The statistical peak came in 2016, with 19 wins from 21 Grands Prix. That 90.5% strike rate sets a daunting target for the 2026 team.
How other great teams compare
McLaren’s 1988 campaign still provides the clearest single-season benchmark. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost won 15 of 16 races, producing a 93.75% success rate. Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari team claimed 15 wins from 17 races in 2002 and 15 from 18 in 2004.
Red Bull earned its place in the discussion by winning 21 of 22 races in 2023, a record 95.5% rate. Those figures show why greatness cannot be measured from a summer snapshot alone. Formula 1’s most dominant teams turned early control into near-total seasons.
A different kind of title test
Mercedes has spread its victories between two drivers. Antonelli has won six times, while Russell started the season with a victory and added another in Austria. The campaign, then, is not dependent on one driver.
Ferrari has still presented a credible threat at two traditional European venues, while Lando Norris’ Hungarian Grand Prix victory proved McLaren can break the pattern. Mercedes’ reliability issues, highlighted by Formula 1’s official coverage during the break, introduce another variable even with its strong outright pace.
The decisive second half
The Dutch Grand Prix on August 23 starts a 12-race stretch through Abu Dhabi, so over half of the season is still to come. Mercedes is already posting numbers that compare with Formula 1’s great teams, but its place in history depends on whether this eight-win opening launches a championship dynasty’s rebirth or ends as a spectacular first act.
