Wolff: We could do 400km/h, maybe exceed it in 2026

Wolff's team, Mercedes, have put up an event in Brixworth, where they build their F1 power units, to bid farewell to the turbo-hybrid units they have built since 2014, the year when the sport got rid of naturally aspirated engines for the first time.

The previous turbo-hybrid power units are quite different from the upcoming 2026 power mills, which will drop the MGU-H utilized in their predecessors after it was deemed to be too expensive and complicated.

On the other hand, the 2026 F1 power units will deliver power from a turbocharged internal combustion V6 engine and an electric component on a 50-50 percent basis, as the new cars will have less downforce and drag, especially with moveable front and rear wings aiming at compensating for the expected lack of power at the end of straights.

Early simulations have showed that top-end speed will be an issue, as the electric power may be depleted at the end of straights, a point former Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner and Max Verstappen, as well as others, highlighted.

All these early impressions have caused a negative view to develop regarding the new rules, but Wolff had only positive things to say about the new engines, which Mercedes are rumored, once again, to have mastered.

He told the Beyond The Grid podcast: "I felt like we need to give that engine a little bit of a marketing boost, because people were talking it down, and it's such an amazing piece of kit.

"If you put it all together, we could do 400 km/h or maybe even exceed it, but obviously you're going to run out of energy for the next straight and then not be quick enough," he added.

Mercedes' engine boss, Hywel Thomas, who replaced Andy Cowell after the latter left for Aston Martin, gave a technical preview on the new for 2026 power units.

The engineer said: "I think the start-of-straight performance is going to be very, very similar to today. We've got the turbocharger that hasn't got an electric machine on it anymore, so you could get some turbo lag. We'll be filling in that turbo lag with the electric, potentially.

“So, I think in terms of start-straight, the performance is going to be pretty epic in comparison to what we've got today. But we know we're going to start to derate earlier on the straight because we haven't got enough electrical energy to use it all the time," Thomas explained.

Formula 1 has issued a press release on Wednesday, explaining technical aspects of the new engines while revealing the terminology that will be adopted for the new era: Boost Mode, Overtake Mode, Recharge, and others.