Wolff: Mercedes will reduce customer teams following 2026.

      "It is contingent upon the development of the new regulations."

      Mercedes appears poised to conclude its phase of providing nearly half the Formula 1 grid with power units. The factory team was outperformed in 2024 and 2025 by the customer team and consecutive constructors’ champions, McLaren. With Alpine integrating into the Mercedes group in 2026, the German manufacturer will supply power units to four teams next year: Mercedes, McLaren, Williams, and Alpine. Meanwhile, Aston Martin will transition to Honda.

      However, team principal and co-owner Wolff indicated that the company is no longer interested in maintaining such an extensive customer program beyond the upcoming engine regulatory cycle. "Our current intention, which I've discussed with Ola (Kallenius), is to decrease the number of customer teams we will support in the next cycle," he stated. "I would say the optimal number falls between two and three."

      "It hinges on how the new regulations unfold – whether they are relatively straightforward or complex – and also on our perception of what we can gain from supplying more teams while needing to outline certain projects beforehand."

      Wolff acknowledged that had he been aware of McLaren’s competitiveness in the last two seasons, Mercedes "would not have provided" engines to the Woking team. He also referred to the industrial implications: "If you're Honda, you must produce four or five engines. Supplying additional teams results in extended delivery times and longer production cycles. Therefore, in the future, there will no longer be four teams powered by Mercedes."

      Hywel Thomas, head of Mercedes’ HPP engine division, offered a measured perspective in France’s Auto Hebdo. "We’ve demonstrated in the past that supplying more than one team results in more data, enhanced information, and greater mileage coverage," he noted. "You have four times as many engineers providing feedback, which greatly benefits the design of a quality product."

      Nonetheless, he underscored the challenges involved. "The drawback is that you need to produce a significant amount of equipment," he elaborated. "You must make certain decisions sooner. I’m not even certain if the ideal number is one, two, three, or four teams – there’s undoubtedly an optimal point somewhere. I believe it’s probably closer to four than to just one."

      Audi and Red Bull-Ford will come on board as full works suppliers in 2026, amidst increasing speculation about a potential future program from Toyota.