Rivals congratulate Mercedes on 2026 Constructors' Championship after Sao Paulo GP

Mercedes' wait for another Constructors' Championship ended last weekend, as the German manufacturer achieved the feat at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The Silver Arrows only needed to outscore main rivals Ferrari by a handful of points in Brazil, with P4 for George Russell and P5 for new World Champion Kimi Antonelli proving more than enough.

The title is Mercedes' first as a team since 2021, while the success in 2026 brings their total count up to nine constructors' titles, joint with Williams and third behind only Ferrari (16) and McLaren (10).

"I'm so proud for the organisation," said Team Principal Toto Wolff after the race in Brazil.

"We've taken a few years to be back on the top spot. Not many teams have been able to come back from such a situation.

"And it just shows that, you know, the great work, the great people that we have in our organisation. And it's fantastic to be among them."

Mercedes' success came under the new-for-2026 regulations, which included drastic overhauls to both the aerodynamics and power units of the cars.

Mercedes' Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin admitted that "we've never put so much effort into a new set of regulations" before.

He said: "We had periods where it looked like we were going to get there [win another title], and then you weren't, and you have all these setbacks. When you've finally done it again, it's just immensely satisfying.

"And, you know, no one gave up. They just kept pushing, kept working hard. There was obviously a big rule change this year. We've never put so much effort into a new set of regulations."

Rivals up and down the grid offered their congratulations to the new World Champions, including McLaren, the Woking-based outfit having lost their crown from last season.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown posted on X: "Congratulations to Mercedes and HPP on securing the Constructors’ Championship title after an impressive season. Looking forward to fighting you for it again next year."

Team Principal Andrea Stella added during a post-race media session: "[I want to] congratulate Mercedes on winning the Constructors’ Championship. Formula 1 is operating, like I've been saying for some time, at very, very high level, very high standards.

"So to be able to win in this kind of competitive context is a reflection of great work that must have happened at Mercedes, so they deserve to be certainly acknowledged."

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, who won six of his seven drivers' titles with Mercedes and was at the team as it won eight consecutive teams' titles, posted on Instagram: "Congratulations guys, am so happy for you all. So well deserved."

Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies added in his post-race media session: "I think they have done an outstanding job. We all recall how dominant they were at the start of the season.

"And of course, we knew they had switched earlier than most [last year to focus on 2026], but it's something to switch earlier than most, something else to convert it into lap time, and that's what they have done.

"And you know they started the season with more than a second advantage on us, so they have obviously done a very good job, so well done to them."

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali also gave his congratulations to the latest winners in the championship.

“My huge congratulations to everyone at the Mercedes Formula 1 Team on becoming 2026 Constructors’ World Champions. Reaching the summit of Formula 1 is never the achievement of one person alone," he said.

"It is the result of extraordinary talent, relentless determination and the shared belief of hundreds of people, at the circuit and back at the factory, all united by the same ambition. Every single member of this team should feel incredibly proud of what they have achieved.

"This is also a moment that will have a special place in the history of our sport. With his ninth Constructors’ title, my friend Toto Wolff draws level with the great Sir Frank Williams, one of Formula 1’s true legends. To stand alongside Frank in the record books is an extraordinary achievement and a powerful testament to Toto’s leadership, vision and relentless pursuit of excellence over so many years.

"To win the Constructors’ Championship in the same season that Kimi Antonelli became the youngest ever Drivers’ World Champion makes 2026 truly unforgettable for Mercedes and for Formula 1. This is what our sport is all about: dreaming big, pushing beyond the limits, and proving what is possible when great people come together with one shared purpose.

"Mercedes have returned to the very top, and in doing so have written another remarkable chapter in the history of Formula 1.”