Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has told Lewis Hamilton that there is no time for friendship next season after he leaves.
Hamilton will make the move to Ferrari next season in a move that shellshocked Formula One after 11 years with the Silver Arrows.
Formula One are set to switch up the sport in 2026 when new regulations come into force.
It means F1 teams will have some big decisions to make next year on whether to ease into the new generation of cars or go for silverware, or finding the right balance.
Toto Wolff has insisted the show will go on at Mercedes – without Lewis Hamilton
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But Wolff has insisted that his Mercedes team will stick to their development plan – without Hamilton.
The Austrian told Autosport: “This is the crux of the matter every year, and especially if you have such a big regulatory change, are you going to compromise one year or the other?
“But I’d like to take it from Niki’s [Lauda] motto, when being asked, ‘Would you rather win this one or the next one?’ And he says, ‘Both.’
“Sometimes it is much less complex than one thinks.
“Probably the transition of people and capability into the 2026 regulations is going to happen a bit earlier than it would under stable regulations, but it’s not going to be game-changing.”
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“Nobody is going to switch the machines off in January unless you are really nowhere.
“But there is nothing to gain because between P10 and P7 doesn’t make a difference for us anyway. We are fighting for victories and podiums and cannot write it off.”
Mercedes might already have an advantage going into the 2026 season due to their ability to develop engines seemingly quicker than others.
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Toto Wolff’s Mercedes might be best positioned for the 2026 changes
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During the turbo-hybrid era in 2014, the Silver Arrows dominated Formula One for eight years in the constructors’ championship with eight consecutive victories.
Meanwhile, world champion Max Verstappen was coy on talk that he could be a long-term replacement for Hamilton at Mercedes in 2026.
“My next step, if there is one, will be my last,” he told Sky Italia. “That could also mean that I renew my existing contract. Everything is still possible at the moment.”
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Lewis Hamilton is set to join Ferrari next year
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He went on to added later on: “I have been part of this team for a long time. Ultimately, every driver in the paddock wants to win.
“It is very easy to change teams, but I don’t want my career to be marked in this way. I don’t want to be part of four or five different teams.
“I want to build a long and stable relationship with everyone in the team and I want to feel at home somewhere.
“Changing teams is not really my thing and it is not something I want to do at this stage of my career.”