Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Mercedes

  • Round 10 – Belgian Grand Prix

    Kimi Antonelli returned to glory with victory at a closely contested Belgian Grand Prix, narrowly beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc as Max Verstappen settled for his third podium of the season in P3.

    The Dutchman got off to a sublime start as he stormed past Antonelli on the opening lap at Eau Rouge, but couldn’t quite stay ahead of the Mercedes driver and quickly gave up the lead.

    While Antonelli clung on at the front, there was heartbreak for his team mate who fell behind both Ferrari’s and made early contact with Lewis Hamilton, spinning George Russell into the gravel and bringing his race to an end, with far-reaching implications in the title battle.

    The Italian resisted the pressure of a Safety Car restart as well as a late challenge from Leclerc after retaking the lead to take the chequered flag by 1.9s, securing his sixth race win of the 2026 season and first since the Monaco Grand Prix.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Antonelli, P2: Leclerc, P3: Verstappen, P4: Hamilton, P5: Piastri, P6: Hadjar, P7: Norris, P8: Bortoleto, P9: Lindblad and P10: Colapinto.

    What a result for Antonelli! This weekend is exactly what he needed, his first win since Monaco – it was his to run away with when the first Free Practice started and he kept it cool all weekend.
    As for his teammate, another weekend to forget – DNF for Russell and on the first lap too, he will be waiting for the summer break to come along quicker than anything!

    P2 for Leclerc! Another great result for the Monegasque – his turned a corner and something’s switched in him this year and he is getting these great results and consistently too – a shame he couldn’t get the win.
    As for Hamilton P4! A pretty decent result considering everything which was thrown at him – if he didn’t get the 5 second time penalty it might’ve been a podium but still a great result.

    Third for Verstappen, a great result for him – much better than Silverstone which he will be happy with! He will be looking to replicate that at the Hungarian Grand Prix. As for his teammate, a great race for Hadjar, from starting at the back to getting all the way to 6th a great result for him.

    5th and 7th for the McLaren’s not amazing but still a decent result – especially with Norris having his penalty.

    P9 for Lindblad, another race in the points and as well for Colapinto in 10th!

    As for the next race weekend, it’ not long as we head to Hungary for Round 11 this weekend and our last before summer break!

    It’s great to be back on the top step after obviously a few difficult rounds. Was a hard-fought race. We lost first place with a VSC but then we managed to make our way back. Was a tough win because Charles was quick and we had to hold onto that.
    Antonelli on the win.

  • Round 10 – Spa Qualifying

    Kimi Antonelli has added a sixth pole position to his season tally after setting the fastest lap in Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, fending off challenges from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

    The Mercedes driver took time to find a rhythm during the hour-long session, but his final effort of 1m 44.361 was enough to seize P1 by three-tenths from Verstappen, who suffered a near miss with Isack Hadjar on his last lap, having been given a tow by his Red Bull team mate.

    Norris – who will drop to P13 thanks to a 10 place grid penalty for exceeding his power unit components allocation – had initially set the fastest time after the opening runs in Q3, but could not find enough to beat Antonelli.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Antonelli, P2: Verstappen, P3: Norris, P4: Russell, P5: Leclerc, P6: Hamilton, P7: Piastri, P8: Lindblad, P9: Bortoleto and P10: Hadjar.

    However with Norris’ penalty taking effect everyone moves up one. As well Hadjar will be tumbling back to the end of the grid due to his 20 place grid penalty.

    A great result for Antonelli, exactly what he would want going into this weekend, now he will be looking for the win! Antonelli has not won since Monaco back on the 7th June! So he will be looking to get those 25 points over his teammate.
    As for George a good result for him, he will be wanting to go for the win, his had a couple of good race weekends in a row now and will be carrying that momentum.

    A good result for Verstappen! He will be very happy with a front row start and he will be wanting to go for the win, his not a four time World Champion for no reason! A little note, that Hadjar done a great job giving the tow to help Verstappen to P2!

    A semi decent result for the Ferrari’s, great for the team to get Hamilton out for Qualifying after his crash in FP3 – a really good job. They can do a lot from starting 4th and 5th – battling for the win won’t be out of the question for these two drivers.

    A shame for Lando to have the 10 place grid penalty when he qualified so well – but the reason they did it at this track is because you can overtake here.
    As for his teammate an okay result for Piastri, starting 6th but qualified 7th.

    A really good effort by Bortoleto, he seems to be getting more and more comfortable with the car and putting these results in – which sometimes seem to be going unnoticed.

    It’s great to be on pole. Was not a very straightforward session, the track changed a lot but we were able to improve lap by lap and bring home pole which was nice. Of course, tomorrow is another day. I have Max starting next to me so it’s going to be important to get a good start and then try to be ahead into Turn 5.
    Antonelli on pole position.

  • Round 8 – Austrian Grand Prix

    George Russell has boosted his title bid by seizing victory in the Austrian Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver taking his seventh career win ahead of a chasing Max Verstappen and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

    Russell made a smooth getaway from pole position when the lights went out, while Verstappen also bounced back from the disappointment of his crash in Qualifying to make gains in the early laps.
    Antonelli did not have an entirely smooth start, the Italian running wide on several occasions.

    While Russell held a solid lead for much of the following laps, Verstappen – after engaging in more than one feisty battle with Lewis Hamilton along the way – made his way up to P2 as the race progressed, resulting in the Dutchman putting increasing pressure on Russell later on.

    A tense end to the Grand Prix followed as, after his final pit stop, Verstappen set about cutting into Russell’s lead – just as Antonelli was also trying to chase down the Dutchman from third. But Russell ultimately crossed the line by 1.611s from Verstappen, the Briton also moving back up to P2 in the standings in the process.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Russell, P2: Verstappen, P3: Antonelli, P4: Piastri, P5: Hamilton, P6: Hadjar, P7: Norris, P8: Leclerc, P9: Lawson and P10: Lindblad.

    What a result for George Russell! He needed this result massively, especially as his teammate has been flying away with it! He kept it out of trouble with a cool, calm and collected drive.
    As for his teammate, a great race for Antonelli, third for the Italian.

    A great result for Verstappen! Especially since he crashed out in qualifying, it was a great way to bring it back for his team’s home race. A good result for Hadjar, always scoring points which is needed at the end of the season.

    A great result for Piastri! But didn’t really see much from him, but he was in a position if anything happened he would’ve benefited from that. As for Norris, not the best race for him, at one point it was unsure if he was even starting the race, so from that aspect a great day for him.

    As for the Ferrari’s a decent race for the team, Hamilton with the better strategy again and he had some very entertaining battles! As for Leclerc, he was kind of in no mans land in eighth.

    Double points finish for Racing Bulls! A good race for them again, they have made some great improvements, and are being consistent every race.

    A weekend to forget for Cadillac, they are not having a good time at the moment, Bottas with his brakes on fire and then Perez with overheating brakes.

    Incredible to be back on the top step. It’s been a little while so I’m definitely going to enjoy this one this evening. A lot of hard work from my team to get us back on track. Obviously there was a tricky run of form at one point. Max and Red Bull were incredibly quick this weekend, so kudos to them but thanks to everyone, thanks to the fans. It was pretty toasty out there, so looking forward to a drink now.
    Russell on the win.

  • Round 7 – Barcelona-Catalunya Qualifying

    George Russell has secured pole position for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in a close fought Qualifying hour, beating Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli after Charles Leclerc crashed out of the session.

    Bouncing back from a frustrating round in Monaco, the Mercedes driver was consistently one of the quickest throughout Qualifying and his spectacular effort of 1m 14.679s was unbeatable, earning him a third pole position of the season.

    Hamilton made his return to the front row in style with a last-gasp attempt, demoting Antonelli to third place to make the Italian’s lowest Grand Prix Qualifying result so far this season.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Russell, P2: Hamilton, P3: Antonelli, P4: Norris, P5: Verstappen, P6: Hadjar, P7: Piastri, P8: Lawson, P9: Hulkenberg and P10: Leclerc.

    What a result for Russell, back on pole position, he definitely needed that after the disaster of a weekend last week, now to get the win surely??!! As for his teammate, another great result in third! Antonelli is always lurking around ready to pounce.

    Another great result for Hamilton, for a minute it looked like he was going to get pole position! But still an excellent result for the Ferrari driver. As for his teammate, not a good qualifying session, Leclerc will be looking at staying out of trouble at the start of the race.

    A good result for Norris! Makes up for an awful weekend last weekend, hopefully he can turn it into a decent result and get those points he missed out on last weekend.

    5th and 6th for the Red Bull boys, a semi decent result – Verstappen was looking like he couldn’t really hook the car up when it mattered, will be interesting to see how they get on in the race and what there strategies are going to be.

    Another good result for Liam Lawson in 8th, he will be looking for another points finish.

    Hulkenbergggg in the top 10! We love to see it, hopefully the Audi driver can turn it into a decent points finish for the team.

    It’s been a great weekend so far – I kind of feel like my old self again, where every lap I’m doing my job and always fighting in those top positions. Obviously the last few races, for numerous reasons haven’t quite been on our side, but I came into this weekend with just a clean slate, felt good and, yeah, just good to be on pole.
    Russell on pole position.

  • Rookies taking part in FP1

    After an intense start under the new regulations that made every lap in the new cars extra valuable for their full time drivers.
    Formula 1 teams have started to fulfil their required rookies outings at this weekend’s Barcelona Grand Prix.

    Here are the drivers who have already been announced as participating in FP1 in the seventh round.

    Leonardo Fornaroli – McLaren
    Replacing: Lando Norris

    Back-to-back Formula 3/ Formula 2 Champion, Fornaroli, was picked up by McLaren as its reserve this year – and is now getting his first practice outing.

    He could’ve hardly have done more in F3 and F2, but given he’s not racing this year, he faces the unenviable task of staying at the forefront of F1 teams’ minds, through impressing in practice will undeniably help.

    Frederik Vesti – Mercedes
    Replacing: Kimi Antonelli

    Vesti was the F2 runner-up three years ago, and his racing future now clearly lies in the endurance racing instead – where he has been forging a career with Cadillac.

    He has established himself as a significant player in Mercedes F1 programmed, described by Toto Wolff, as “an important part of our development work with the W17”.

    Ayumu Iwasa – Red Bull
    Replacing: Isack Hadjar

    The 24 year old is increasingly becoming Red Bull’s go to practice driver across its two teams having had considerable success racing in Red Bull colours in various category – but never truly entering the frame for an F1 call-up.

    He is the formal Racing Bulls test and reserve driver, and is currently working to defend his maiden title in the prestigious Super Formula category in Japan.

    Dino Beganovic – Ferrari
    Replacing: Lewis Hamilton

    Sixth – but only 20 points down on the standings leader – in F2 this year, 22 year old Beganovic will carry out his third practice outing with Ferrari in Barcelona.

    Ferrari has two juniors on the cusp of F1 readiness in Beganovic and Rafa Camara but it’s line-up doesn’t appear likely to change in the immediate future.

    Luke Browning – Williams
    Replacing: Alex Albon

    Williams reserve Browning, will be in Albon’s car at Barcelona and then in Carlos Sainz’s car at the Red Bull Ring.

    An outside F2 title contender last year in his rookie season, Browning has now switched to Super Formula this year and has been competitive.

    He is clearly the F1-readiest prospect on Williams’ books, but will need to make a big impression in FP1 sessions to be first in line for a future seat.

    Paul Aron – Audi
    Replacing: Nico Hulkenberg

    Aron, is an Alpine reserve – but was already loaned by the English-French team to what was then Sauber for a pair of practice outings last year.
    This arrangement will continue again, at the Red Bull Ring.

    After making waves as an F2 rookie in 2024, Aron didn’t race last year and has no full-time programme this year either – instead supporting Alpine’s efforts.

    His prospects of an Alpine seat look far from straightforward given this would likely require Alpine to move on from Franco Colapinto – who has been on a good run of form.

    Colton Herta – Cadillac
    Replacing: Sergio Perez

    Ex-Indycar star Herta, will dovetail a first F1 practice outing with the full F2 round at Barcelona.

    Cadillac and Herta have made no secret of their ambition to get him into an F1 seat, with the experience-gathering Indycar to F2 switch for this year aimed at no other goal but acquainting him with the tracks, the paddock and topping up his superlicence points tally.

    Adjusting to F2 has proven tough – not unexpectedly so given Herta had left the European single-seater scene in 2026 and he is only 13th in the Standings at present.

  • Round 6 – Monaco Grand Prix

    Kimi Antonelli avoided the late drama of the Monaco Grand Prix to consolidate his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings even further, beating Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar in an exhilarating race that saw seven drivers retire.

    At lights out in Monaco, the Mercedes driver calmly maintained first place as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen faced a devastating issue at the start that saw him slide down the order before he became the first to DNF.

    While others struggled with various mechanical problems that forced them out of the action, including Valtteri Bottas and McLaren driver Lando Norris, Antonelli consistently opened up his advantage over the Ferrari pair of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

    However, his win was threatened with around 20 laps remaining when Lance Stroll crashed at the final corner of the Circuit de Monaco, bringing out a Safety Car that allowed many to take a second pit stop without losing too much time.
    It may have put Antonelli’s lead in danger, but it offered a brilliant opportunity for those who had been handed time penalties for speeding in the pit lane to serve them during the race.

    The restart was short-lived as local favourite Leclerc experienced an identical crash to Stroll’s and the event was halted to inspect track break-up at the site. His DNF helped promote Hadjar to his first Red Bull podium – Pierre Gasly finished ahead on the road but dropped down the order thanks to two five second penalties.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Antonelli, P2: Hamilton, P3: Hadjar, P4: Piastri, P5: Lawson, P6: Lindblad, P7: Gasly, P8: Albon, P9: Ocon and P10: Alonso.

    What a result for Antonelli! Exactly what he would’ve wanted after he knew he was starting in an ideal position, he did well to handle both the Safety Car and Red Flag. As for Russell, a race to forget for him, we knew he wouldn’t really get the opportunity to do much overtaking but it went from bad to worse when he didn’t serve his 5 second time penalty when he pitted, he then got penalised with a drive through penalty which saw him finish 12th.

    Another podium for Hamilton, a really strong showing for the Ferrari driver this weekend, and fully deserved the podium. As for his teammate, unfortunate for him to crash so late on in the race as it was looking like a double podium for the Ferrari team, but it was completely out of Leclerc’s control.

    3rd for Isack Hadjar, his first podium with the Red Bull boys, and fully deserved aswell, the team will be happy that their ‘2nd car/driver’ is doing exactly what they want. As for Max Verstappen, a horrible day for him, he had problems on the formation lap with getting away and then he just couldn’t get going when the lights went out and when he did, he didn’t have full power, so had to pit and retire – very unfortunate from him as he had a good qualifying!

    4th for Piastri, a good result for the McLaren driver after a mediocre qualifying like I said in the qualifying post for him it will be capitalising on others misfortune. As for the reigning World Champion an unfortunate race for him having to retire the car after loosing speed.

    Double points for the Racing Bulls, 5th for Lawson and 6th for Lindblad, a really strong showing from the drivers and team as a whole.

    7th for Gasly, even though initially he crossed the line in third, it would’ve been great to see him on the podium again, but I suppose we will have to wait a little while longer!

    It’s been an incredible weekend, an incredible race. It was one of those days where we had incredible pace and it was just coming all so naturally. The car was feeling incredible and it was just giving me the confidence to push, so it was a very enjoyable day.
    Antonelli on the win.

  • Round 6 – Monaco Qualifying

    Kimi Antonelli has clinched pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix in a thrilling conclusion to qualifying, the Mercedes driver storming to the top of the timesheets ahead of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

    After Antonelli set the pace during the initial runs of Q3, the likes of Charles Leclerc and Verstappen subsequently toppled him as the session headed towards its close – but the Italian displaced Verstappen in P1 on a lap of 1m 12.051s, marking his maiden Monte Carlo pole.

    Verstappen has to settle for second place in the Red Bull, his effort being only 0.043s adrift of Antonelli’s, while Hamilton was just over two tenths away for Ferrari in third.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Antonelli, P2: Verstappen, P3: Hamilton, P4: Leclerc, P5: Hadjar, P6: Russell, P7: Piastri, P8: Norris, P9: Gasly and P10: Lawson.

    What a result for Antonelli! He put it all on the line when it mattered and got the job done! As for his teammate, not a very good result at all as Russell is starting sixth, not really much he can do from there apart from waiting for other people’s mistakes.

    A great qualifying for Verstappen, especially as the team was having issues the majority of the weekend, hopefully they can keep it up in the race. A great result for Hadjar, P5 for the Red Bull driver, a decent result after an eventful start to the weekend.

    The Ferrari’s have had a great weekend so far! Hamilton starts third and home-town hero Leclerc starts fourth, I think if he didn’t hit the wall on his last flying lap he would be looking at a front row start if not pole, very unfortunate for him.

    An okay result for the McLaren’s 7th and 8th, not good at all, it will be hoping drivers in front have problems for them to get further up the field and all about pit stop strategy!

    Gasly starting ninth, another good result for the French driver, he will be looking to score points this weekend! And the same goes for Liam Lawson looking for another points finish.

    It was one of those laps we call the magic lap. I was able to put [it] all together and it was such a close Qualifying with Max – I think in the first run of Q3 there was just one millisecond between us, but I knew the last lap was good and was just hoping that it would be enough. It was very close and I’m very happy with that. Massive thanks to the team because yesterday we struggled a little bit and today we were able to improve massively.
    Antonelli on pole.

  • Round 5 – Canadian Grand Prix

    Kimi Antonelli has taken victory in a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix, and extended his championship lead to 43 points in the process, after Mercedes team mate George Russell was forced to retire on Lap 30 following a power unit issue on his car.

    The early stages of the race were dominated by a thrilling battle for the lead between Russell and Antonelli, with some contentious moments between them as the pair swapped positions on numerous occasions.

    But the duel came to an end in heartbreaking circumstances for Russell when the Briton suffered a sudden technical issue that forced him to stop on track.
    A virtual Safety Car was deployed and much of the field pitted, with Antonelli left holding a solid lead over second-placed Verstappen.

    From there the Italian was untroubled at the front, crossing the line with a margin of 10.7 seconds to seal his fourth consecutive win. Lewis Hamilton took a strong second place for Ferrari, the seven-time World Champion overtaking the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in the final laps.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Antonelli, P2: Hamilton, P3: Verstappen, P4: Leclerc, P5: Hadjar, P6: Colapinto, P7: Lawson, P8: Gasly, P9: Sainz and P10: Bearman.

    A great result for Antonelli, it wasn’t easy for the young Italian, having to fight his teammate for quite a while, unfortunate for Russell to DNF but they gave us an entertaining battle whilst it lasted!

    Excellent result for Hamilton, just what he would’ve wanted and needed going into the weekend, the seven time world champion had a few lovely battles on the way to his podium spot.
    As for his teammate, Leclerc finished 4th, a decent result and points but he didn’t have as much pace as his teammate.

    Third for Verstappen, the Red Bull Racing driver had an excellent race with some battles and he was rewarded with the podium. As for his teammate, Hadjar finished 5th, a decent result for him!

    Big points for Colapinto! It’s great to see him in battles and staying out of trouble, but also being more consistent!

    A weekend to forget for McLaren, Norris DNF’ed and Piastri finished outside the points. They started on the wrong tyres, which then caused them both to pit early. It really was just a horrible weekend.

    It was a really fun battle to be fair with George. We were pretty much in the limit and it was not easy today with the wind. Very gusty, Turn 10 was very difficult. I think one lap he locked up and then I went in front and locked up. It was very close and it was a shame for him to have he failure because it would have been a very cool battle but, I mean, we take it. Another win and I’m very happy, and a massive thanks of course to the team.
    Antonelli on the win.

  • Round 5 – Canada Sprint

    George Russell resisted incredible pressure to hold on to the lead of the Canada Sprint, beating Lando Norris and a fiery Kimi Antonelli to victory after clashing with his Mercedes teammate.

    For the first time this season, Russell and Antonelli held position on the opening lap, but it was far from a straightforward win for the Briton.
    He endured a tight battle with the 19 year old, who repeatedly darted off track and was forced to settle for third place behind a rapid Norris, despite multiple calls for Russell to be penalised after the pair banged wheels and the Italian was pushed onto the grass.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Russell, P2: Norris, P3: Antonelli, P4: Piastri, P5: Leclerc, P6: Hamilton, P7: Verstappen, P8: Lindblad, P9: Colapinto and P10: Sainz.

    A great result for Russell, exactly the result he would’ve wanted going into the Sprint, he kept it out of trouble and was rewarded with the best outcome possible. As for Antonelli a great result for the team, he had a bit of a scrap with his teammate but it didn’t go the way he wanted and started to moan over the radio which didn’t end well…

    A great result for Norris, a position made up and more points in the bag, even with the Mercedes bringing a big upgrade it’s good to see the McLaren’s close by! As for Piastri, he ended P4, points for the Australian driver.

    5th and 6th for the Ferrari driver’s, a decent result for both Leclerc and Hamilton, not as much pace as previous weekends.

    P7 for Verstappen, not the best result for the Dutchman, seems like he has struggled so far this weekend with the car and how it is handling at the track.

    Points for Lindblad, a great result for him! Will be interesting to see how he handles the rest of the weekend.

  • Round 4 – Miami Grand Prix

    Kimi Antonelli has taken victory in an action packed Miami Grand Prix, the Italian resisting pressure from Lando Norris to seal his third consecutive win of the season.

    A dramatic start ensued when the race got underway, with polesitter Antonelli facing a three-way scrap alongside Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc before both the Mercedes and Red Bull cars locked up into the first corner.
    Verstappen then dropped down the order after spinning out shortly after.

    The lead changed hands numerous times from there, with Antonelli later taking over Leclerc while Norris, Oscar Piastri and Verstappen all enjoyed stints at the front.
    Separate crashes for Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly, meanwhile, saw the Safety Car deployed in the opening laps.

    But it would ultimately prove to be a two-horse battle between Antonelli and Norris as the race wore on, the McLaren remaining on the tail of the former during the latter stages.
    Despite that tension, Antonelli held on to score his third victory of the campaign, making history as the first driver to convert their maiden three pole positions into wins.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Antonelli, P2: Norris, P3: Piastri, P4: Russell, P5: Verstappen, P6: Hamilton, P7: Colapinto, P8: Leclerc, P9: Sainz and P10: Albon.

    What a result for Antonelli, unfortunate he locked up at the start, but he kept his Mercedes out of trouble and had a little fight with the McLaren of Lando Norris but managed to come out on top. P4 for Russell, after late battles with Verstappen and Leclerc.

    McLaren’s have improved massively! Great to see them fighting at the top again, Norris especially with Antonelli and then Piastri being there waiting to see if he can capitalise on anyone’s mistake which he was able to and the team came home with a double podium!

    5th for Verstappen, with a 5 second time penatly, which I do think he was very lucky to only get that, as some of his moves were a bit controversial… As for his teammate, Hadjar, a weekend to forget, from being disqualified in qualifying and then crashing out the race at Turn 14, he will want to keep his eyes focused on the next round.

    As for the Ferrari’s, unfortunate for Hamilton to get damage with Colapinto at the start, but he did well to manage it and still finish 6th, so some decent points considering. As for his teammate, Leclerc had a 20 second time penalty for leaving the track on multiple occasions and got dropped down to 8th, not good at all, considering the McLaren’s and Red Bull’s have improved since the start of the season.

    Colapinto finished 7th! A great result for the Alpine man, he deserved a points finish after having a great weekend, qualifying well!

    A double points finish for Williams rounds out the top 10! A good result for the team, they capitalised on others not finishing and keeping themselves out of trouble.

    The start was not as bad as yesterday – it was a little bit better. I didn’t expect Charles to brake that early, so to avoid him I locked up. I was a bit lucky with what happened in Turn 2. I did a little mistake with the energy management, trying to overtake Charles, then I lost a place to Lando. But then the pace was strong, I was able to stay close, and then the team did a great strategy. We did a massive undercut, and we managed to bring it home, even though it was not easy.
    Antonelli on the win.

    Now next up, we have a little break (but not too long) as we head to Canada for Round 5 on May 22nd – 24th and it is another sprint race!

  • Round 4 – Miami Qualifying

    Kimi Antonelli has clinched pole position for the Miami Grand Prix in style, setting a magnificent lap to edge out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to the honour.

    The Mercedes driver was consistently towards the top of the times throughout qualifying and, although he couldn’t improve on his final lap, an earlier effort proved to be unbeatable as he ended the session on a time of 1m 27.798s.

    Verstappen looked close to piping Antonelli to pole position at the last second with rapid sectors at the Miami International Autodrome, but he ultimately lost out by just over a tenth and will line up on the front row ahead of Leclerc.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Antonelli, P2: Verstappen, P3: Leclerc, P4: Norris, P5: Russell, P6: Hamilton, P7: Piastri, P8: Colapinto, P9: Hadjar and P10: Gasly.

    A lovely result for Antonelli, Pole for the Italian, just what he would’ve wanted, he will be looking to go for the win without any challenges. As for Russell, a little further back, his got his work cut out as he has Hamilton just behind and Norris just infront.

    A great result for Verstappen, seems like the Red Bull has improved since last time out, which we like to see as it brings the fight closer together and more action on track.

    A decent result for the Ferrari’s with Leclerc in the mix in third, he will be wanting to fight the Red Bull and McLaren for a podium and get those all important points needed.

    McLaren qualified 4th and 7th for Norris and Piastri, a decent result for them, a bit more work to do for Piastri having to pass through some drivers for better points.

    A really good result the Alpine’s, Colapinto in 8th, he has started to become more consistent this season, hopefully he can turn that P8 start to some good points. His teammate, Gasly starts in 10th, so will be looking for a double points finish.

    No real surprises out of qualifying, so will be an interesting race if anything happens, weather wise which can change strategies.

    The race has moved forward due to potentially having a storm coming in, so start time is now 6pm (BST).

    It’s been an amazing day, to be on pole again. It was obviously a difficult start of the day with the Sprint, where it didn’t go our way, but I’m super happy with the recovery. It was a good Qualifying. I got a little bit too excited on the last lap of Q3, but the first lap was good enough, and I’m really happy with that.
    Antonelli on pole.

  • Round 2 – Chinese Grand Prix

    Kimi Antonelli claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory in the Chinese Grand Prix beating Mercedes team mate George Russell as Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton claimed his first Grand Prix podium for the Scuderia after a thrilling intra-team battle.

    Having become the youngest Grand Prix polesitter on Saturday, Antonelli was only briefly headed at the start of Sunday’s race in Shanghai, losing the lead to Hamilton who got the jump on both Mercedes from P3.

    Re-taking the lead before the end of the second lap, the 19 year old Italian was never headed again, retaining first after his only pitstop under the sole Safety Car period early in proceedings.

    Despite a nervous moment after running deep at Turn 14 hairpin with four laps remaining, Antonelli finished 5.5 seconds clear of Russell to become the second youngest winner of a Grand Prix.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Antonelli, P2: Russell, P3: Hamilton, P4: Leclerc, P5: Bearman, P6: Gasly, P7: Lawson, P8: Hadjar, P9: Sainz and P10: Colapinto.

    What a race for Kimi Antonelli! He pretty much had a perfect race, apart from Lewis leading for one lap, but he kept it cool and collected, which is great to see in such a young driver! George Russell was right there with him, which is another great result for Mercedes.

    Hamilton has now achieved his first podium with Ferrari in a Grand Prix race! So well deserved and he got the work done to be rewarded with this. As for his teammate Leclerc P4 for the Monegasque the pair had a nice little battle between them. sometimes it looked a too little close to comfort, but it was actually nice and respectful.

    P5 for Mr Ollie Bearman! What a performance from the Brit! They have had a brilliant start to the season and need to carry on the momentum!

    P6 for Gasly, a lovely finish for the Alpine driver, a great follow up from the weekend in Australia and to make it even better, Colapinto finished 10th meaning he scored his first points for Alpine!

    A disappointing race for the McLaren’s having both drivers did not start due to two separate issues but both looking like electrical issues. A big shame for Piastri as he hasn’t started a Grand Prix this season and is behind and for Norris seemed like he was getting pretty well this weekend so a big shame for the team.

    As for the Red Bull’s a good race for Hadjar, scoring his first points for the team! As for Verstappen he DNF’ed and looked like an engine related problem as he got told to retire the car and managed to bring it back into the pitlane, not the best of starts for the Red Bull team.

    Gabriel Bortoleto and Alex Albon also failed to start the race due to car problems on the way to the grid, not at all what both of their teams would want.

    Now we have a break and the next race being the 27th to 29th March for the Japanese Grand Prix!

  • Round 2 – China Sprint

    George Russell claimed Sprint victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, following an early frenetic battle for the lead and surviving a late Safety Car.

    The Mercedes driver started from pole for the 19 lap Sprint on Saturday, an unlike a week ago in Australia, Russell held the lead through the opening corners before conceding the position to a surging Hamilton at Turn 9 – the Ferrari man had started fourth on the grid.

    The pair engaged in a tussle for the lead, swapping positions across the early laps until Russell made the decisive move into Turn 14 hairpin on Lap 15, pulling a gap to both Hamilton and Leclerc.

    Leclerc eventually got the better of his team mate, finishing just 0.6 seconds behind Russell, the leading drivers having made a late pit stop following a Safety Car that was called when Nico Hulkenberg’s stricken Audi needed to be retrieved.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Russell, P2: Leclerc, P3: Hamilton, P4: Norris, P5: Antonelli, P6: Piastri, P7: Lawson, P8: Bearman, P9: Verstappen and P10: Ocon.

    Great result for Russell, he is on a different level at the minute and is being rewarded with points and wins! As for Antonelli, not the best result at all, he had a poor start and then had to serve a 10 second time penalty after a collision with Isack Hadjar on the opening lap.

    A great result for the Ferrari’s, they have had a great start to the season, and they are challenging for wins/podiums. Leclerc finishing P2 and Hamilton P3, a little fight with the Merc’s which is very good to see.

    P4 for Norris, a decent result for him, a shame he couldn’t grab onto a podium. P6 for Piastri, a somewhat decent result, he got overtaken late on in the Sprint by Antonelli.

    No points for Verstappen where he finished P9, not a great race for the Red Bulls at all, especially with Hadjar being crashed into and finishing a horrible 15th.

  • Round 2 – China Sprint Qualifying

    George Russell claimed Sprint Qualifying pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix, as Kimi Antonelli ensured Mercedes locked out the front row in Shanghai.

    Russell and Mercedes dominated proceedings on Friday, the Briton having topped the sole practice session earlier in the day before setting the fastest time in all three segments of Sprint Qualifying.

    The Briton’s 1m 31.520s in SQ3 wit the soft tyre left him nearly three-tenths clear of Antonelli, with the young Italian starting second after being cleared of impeding Lando Norris earlier in proceedings.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Russell, P2: Antonelli, P3: Norris, P4: Hamilton, P5: Piastri, P6: Leclerc, P7: Gasly, P8: Verstappen, P9: Bearman and P10: Hadjar.

    What a result for Mercedes, a great result for the team, it would be the result they wanted going into the weekend, a very strong start to a usy weekend.

    P3 for Norris and P5 for Piastri, it seems like the McLaren’s have found some pace since Australia which was only last week! It will be interesting to see how they do in the races and if they are putting all their pace in the qualifying set up rather than the race…

    P4 for Hamilton! A great result for the Ferrari man, another good results on the books, hopefully he could get a podium as we all know he loves this track! As for Leclerc, an okay result! It’s not his strongest track but he does seem to have a good car underneath him so hopefully some good results this weekend.

    P7 for Gasly! What a result for the Alpine driver, a really good start to the season for the Frenchman. He will be looking to score some big points this weekend.

    P8 for Verstappen, not the best result but still in the top 10, it will be interesting to see how he gets on as his somewhat near the middle of the pack so in somewhat of a danger zone…

    Bearman in the top 10 again! Haas will be liking the results for the Brit and be hoping he will be scoring points this weekend.

    The car’s been feeling amazing – we knew after Melbourne we had a really good car, the engine’s performing really well, and today was a real joy to drive, so [I’m] happy. I’m intrigued to know what the lap times are compared to last year, because it felt really quick and that was pretty cool, very different to Melbourne.
    Russell on pole position.

  • Pourchaire joins Mercedes as development driver

    Mercedes have announced that 2023 Formula 2 Champion, Theo Pourchaire has joined the team as Development Driver.

    The French racer is the newest addition to Mercedes’ driver portfolio, joining the likes of F1 racers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as well as Third Driver Fred Vesti – who finished as runner-up to Pourchaire in the 2023 F2 Championship.

    After finishing runner-up in the 2020 F3 season and Formula 2 in 2022, Pourchaire secured the 2023 F2 title with ART Grand Prix.
    The 22 year old went on to gain experience in IndyCar in 2024 and served as a reserve for the then-named Alfa Romeo/ Kick Sauber team.

    In his position with the Sauber team he took part in three FP1 sessions across the 2022 and 2023 seasons before leaving the team after graduating from their programme.

    The French driver then progressed to endurance racing, joining Peugeot as a development driver in 2025 and he also made his World Endurance Championship debut in the same year.
    Alongside his Mercedes duties he will also become a full-time Hypercar driver for Team Peugeot TotalEnergies in 2026.

    The news is finally out, I’m incredibly proud and grateful to be joining Mercedes as a Development Driver. I grew up watching this team winning in F1 and now I have the honour to work with them and represent them. A big thank you to everyone involved for giving me this opportunity, I’m going to make the most of it. Let’s start the work in Brackley.
    Pourchaire on the news.

  • Round 1 – Australian Grand Prix

    George Russell claimed victory in the 2026 season-opening Australian Grand Prix, the Brit leading team mate Kimi Antonelli to secure a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of the Ferrari duo in an action-packed event that saw the Silver Arrows make one-stop strategy work to their favour.

    A thrilling start to the race saw Charles Leclerc surge forwards from P4 on the grid, seizing the lead from Russell before the two continued to swap positions over the next few laps.
    Both Mercedes cars subsequently pitted when a Virtual Safety Car was deployed due to Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar pulling off the track – while the Ferrari’s opted to stay out.

    Another VSC phase followed due to the retirement of Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas, during which Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton again remained out on track.
    When the Scuderia’s drivers later made their stops, Russell and Antonelli returned to the front – leading to questions over how each team’s strategy calls would unfold, given that Ferrari looked likely to run until the end of the race while Mercedes may have to stop again.

    Despite their ageing tyres, the Silver Arrows appeared to be staying out until the chequered flag, with the Scuderia pair having not closed in enough to pressure the leading duo into making another stop – and the plan worked, with Russell crossing the line 2.9s ahead of Antonelli to secure a sixth career victory.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Russell, P2: Antonelli, P3: Leclerc, P4: Hamilton, P5: Norris, P6: Verstappen, P7: Bearman, P8: Lindblad, P9: Bortoleto and P10: Gasly.

    What a result for the Mercedes duo! Just how they would’ve wanted to start the season, a flawless drive from Russell, cool, calm and collected! As for Antonelli, he lost a few positions at the start but still done well to bring it back and on the podium.

    A great result for Ferrari! P3 for Leclerc, and P4 for Hamilton, I must say it’s nice to see them back near the top, they had a little fight with the Mercs at the start but they couldn’t bring it to them as much due to the strategy and not pitting. But they are probably the closest to the Mercs at the minute!

    An okay result for the reigning world champion, Norris, didn’t see much of him but kept the Red Bull of Verstappen at bay. But the Brit did well to keep his spot and score some vital points.
    As for his teammate, Oscar Piastri…. how unfortunate he crashed on the way to the grid especially at his home grand prix, not the start to the season he and McLaren would’ve wanted…

    As for Verstappen, what a drive! To come back from 20th, it was damage limitation to score some points and that is what he done. As for his teammate, the Albert Park curse continues for Hadjar, which is so sad as he qualified so well to then be out of the race due to reliability issues is unfortunate. But they way he kept up with the teams and qualified is SO promising for Red Bull.

    Points for Bearman! What a drive from him, kept it out of trouble and started the season strong with Haas scoring valuable points!

    Now our only rookie this year, Arvid Lindblad, what a debut weekend from him! Qualifying in the top 10 and then going on to score points, now that is how you make an entrance!

    Now our next race isn’t too far away… It’s this weekend, and we are heading to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix!

  • Round 1 – Australia Qualifying

    George Russell sealed pole position for the first race of the season in Australia, beating Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar’s efforts while Max Verstappen suffered an unexpected early exit.

    The Mercedes driver established his spot at the top early on, dominating throughout each segment of qualifying before positing a stunning final lap of 1m 18.518s to establish a major advantage over the rest of the field.

    Antonelli was second to polish off a superb day for the Brackley team, while Hadjar shone on his Red Bull debut to claim third.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Russell, P2: Antonelli, P3: Hadjar, P4: Leclerc, P5: Piastri, P6: Norris, P7: Hamilton, P8: Lawson, P9: Lindblad and P10: Bortoleto.

    What a result for the Mercedes boys! Going into this weekend and the season Russell and Mercedes are the favourites at the minute and this has just proved it! He now needs to go win this race tomorrow and it will be a brilliant start to the season. As for Antonelli, Mercedes done a masterpiece getting his car ready for Q1 but they did it and Antonelli done the driving where it mattered.

    P3 for Hadjar! Just what he would’ve wanted going into his first race with Red Bull. I think it makes it even better as the team has at least one good result where as in the past if Max went out early (which is rare) the teammate wouldn’t do as good. But Hadjar is in the perfect place to score points, and maybe even a podium!
    As for Verstappen, an unfortunate qualifying for him, crashed out of qualifying before even being able to set a lap time! His got a lot of work to do, to just get into the points.

    Good result for Leclerc, P4 for the Monegasque, probably in the right place if you look at the results from the practices. It will be interesting to see how Ferrari do in the race, especially with strategies, can they get on the podium in the first round??
    As for Lewis Hamilton, a decent result in 7th, was just beaten by the McLaren’s but it was very close between himself and Norris!

    As for the McLaren’s 5th and 6th, not a bad result for them at all. They will be hoping to get at least one driver on the podium, so that battle could be interesting…

    P8 for Lawson, a good result for him! And for the team as Lindblad qualified P9 in his first qualifying! Points would be an excellent way to start his rookie season, so let’s see if he gets them!

    Bortoleto rounds out the top 10, a very good result for the Audi team as Hulkenberg is just behind his teammate in 11th, points will be wanted this weekend.

    It was a great day. We knew there was a lot of potential in the car, but until you get to this first Saturday of the season you never know. It really came alive this afternoon, especially when the track temp cooled – we know we sort of tend to favour those conditions. I’m also really happy to have Kimi here next to me as well because it’s been such a hard job from all the team to deliver this car and they did an amazing job in the garage as well today, so all in all a really good day.
    Russell on pole.

  • Westcott to drive for Mercedes in 2026

    Payton Westcott has become the latest driver locked in for the 2026 F1 Academy season, with Mercedes recruiting the American racer for the upcoming campaign.

    The 16 year-old will take on her rookie season in the Mercedes operated by PREMA Racing car, alongside contesting a dual programme in Italian F4.

    Starting out in karting aged six, Westcott progressed to competitive karting six years later, scoring promising results in the United States, Pro Kart Series, California Pro Kart Challenge and finished third in the Challenge of the Americas.

    After being selected for the inaugural cohort of F1 Academy Discover Your Drive karters in the 2024 Champions of the Future Academy Program, Westcott progressed into single-seaters the following year.

    Honing her craft in the Formula Winter Series, Italian F4 Championship, E4 Championship and F4 Saudi Arabian Championship, Westcott achieved a Female Trophy win in the Formula Winter Series alongside becoming the first and only woman to take home a victory in the UAE Trophy Series.

    Making her F1 Academy debut as the Wild Card entry for the Las Vegas season finale, the American delivered a P6 finish on home soil in Race 1.

    I’m excited to join the Mercedes family for the 2026 F1 ACADEMY season. They are an incredible team and one that is driven by passion, determination, and a constant pursuit of excellence. It’s an amazing opportunity to work with such a talented group of people that are commitment to developing young talent. I’m looking forward to learning new tracks throughout the season and continuing to grow my skill set both on and off the circuit. Every race weekend will be a chance to push my limits, refine my driving, and build consistency. I’m motivated to make the most of this journey and take the next big step in my career.
    Westcott on the news.

    We’re very pleased to welcome Payton Westcott to the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team family for the 2026 F1 ACADEMY season. She steps into big shoes by succeeding Doriane, who set a very high benchmark within our programme. We know Payton is a rookie, and we approach the season with realistic ambitions, but this is a challenge she understands and fully embraces. At just 16 years old, Payton has already demonstrated both maturity and strong performance. Her results in the 2025 Italian F4 and Euro 4 championships, as well as her recent performances in the UAE Formula 4 series, underline not only her speed but also her ability to adapt quickly to highly competitive environments. The 2026 season will be intense for Payton. Alongside F1 ACADEMY, she will continue racing in Italian F4 to further develop her race craft, technical understanding, and overall experience. We believe this dual programme will accelerate her progression and provide a solid foundation for her long-term ambitions in single-seater racing. We look forward to supporting her throughout this important next stage of her journey with us.
    Gwen Lagrue, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Driver Development Advisor.

  • Vesti confirmed as Mercedes third driver

    Fred Vesti has been confirmed as Mercedes’ Third Driver for the 2026 season, with the Dane admitting that he is “extremely excited” to make the step up after working with the team for the past few years.

    Having first joined the Mercedes Junior Programme back in 2021, Vesti went on to become a reserve driver for the team from 2025 onwards, a role which has seen him participate in FP1 sessions and undertake a vast amount of simulator work.

    During the Silver Arrows’ 2026 launch event – where he joined George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as the W17 car was formally introduced – it was announced that the 24 year old is set to become the third driver for the season ahead, a progression that he is hoping will bring him even closer to joining the grid.

    The news comes after the exit of former reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, who makes his return to the grid this season with Cadillac.

    I’m extremely excited to be joining the team, George and Kimi trackside more often this year as Third Driver. That’s going to be very cool for me. I’ve worked with this team for five years now, so to step up even closer to my dream of racing in Formula 1, that’s a huge privilege. And obviously I’ve been working so hard on this car, W17, with everyone in Brackley, so to get to see it around the world and with F1 is going to be very special.
    Vesti on the news.

  • Mercedes reveal W17

    Mercedes have revealed the first images of their 2026 challenger, which features a revised livery in their iconic silver and black colours.

    The Silver Arrows, who fought back to finish second in the Teams’ Championship last year, will run an unchanged line up of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli this season.

    The W17, like all its rivals, will be smaller, narrower and lighter than its predecessor as it has been designed and built to sweeping new aerodynamic regulations.

    The team will be heading to Bahrain for official pre-season testing with two three-day tests planned for teams to refine their cars and start to chase performance before the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

    Formula 1 will undergo significant change in 2026, and we are prepared for that transition. The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus across every area of performance. Our work on the new car, and the long-term development of the Power Unit and advanced sustainable fuels with Petronas, reflects that approach. Releasing the first images of the W17 is simply the next step in that process.”It represents the collective, sustained effort of our teams in [their Power Unit base in] Brixworth and [chassis base in] Brackley. We will continue to push hard in the months ahead.
    Wolff on the new car.

  • Mercedes confirm launch date

    Mercedes have set a date for the reveal of their 2026 Formula 1 car, the Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 E Performance.

    Renders of the design – made to F1’s all new regulations – will be released across Mercedes’ digital channels on Thursday January 22nd, shortly before the private pre-season test in Barcelona.

    A dedicated 2026 digital season launch show will follow on Monday February 2nd, ahead of back-to-back test sessions in Bahrain.

    The season launch – which will be streamed via Mercedes’ social media pages – is set to feature Silver Arrows CEO and Team Principal Toto Wolff, continuing drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, as well as insight on the sweeping technical changes from senior team members.

    Mercedes are pushing to get back to title-challenging ways after failing to win a championship under F1’s recent ground-effect era – the outfit placing third in 2022, second in 2023, fourth in 2024 and second in 2025.

  • Russell & Antonelli confirmed as Mercedes line-up

    George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will form Mercedes’ Formula 1 driver line-up for the 2026 season, the team have announced.

    The eight-time World Champions have opted to stick with Russell and Antonelli, who are both products of the team’s junior programme and have guided the Silver Arrows to P2 in the Teams’ Championship with three race weekends to go.

    Russell was promoted to the works team in 2022, after three years at Williams, and has since clinched five Grands Prix wins, the latest of which came at Singapore.

    Next year will be his eighth in F1 and 10th campaign for Mercedes, having joined their junior programme in 2017.

    Rookie Antonelli has had some big peaks this year, including Sprint pole in Miami, a podium in Canada, where he became the youngest podium finisher in F1 history and podium in Sao Paulo, but also endured a difficult run through the European leg of the season.

    Confirming our driver line-up was always just a matter of when, not if. We wanted to take our time, handle the negotiations properly and make sure everyone, on all sides, was happy. I’m pleased we have done that. George and Kimi have proved a strong pairing and we’re excited to continue our journey together. Our focus is now on the final six races of the year, as we fight for second in the Constructors’, and onwards to 2026 and a new era in F1.
    Wolff on the news.

    I am really proud to be continuing our journey together. Next year will mark my 10th since I signed with Mercedes back in 2017. It has been such a long and successful partnership with the team so far and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead, particularly as we embark on one of the largest regulation changes in the sport’s history next year. We are all incredibly focused on making that a success and, for me personally, building on what has been my strongest season in F1 to date.
    Russell on the news.

    I’m super excited to be continuing with the team. I’ve learnt so much in my first season in F1, both in the good moments and the more challenging ones. Those have all made me stronger, not only as a driver but as a team mate too. I want to say thank you to Toto and everyone at Brackley and Brixworth for their continued support and faith in me. Our focus now is to finish this year strongly and secure second in the Constructors’ Championship, before we then turn our full attention to 2026. There’s plenty for us still to achieve in these final six races and we will be giving it our all.
    Antonelli on the news.

  • R18 – Singapore

    George Russell has claimed a dominant victory in the Singapore Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver converting pole position into a flawless win ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, while McLaren scored enough points to seal the 2025 Teams’ Championship.

    Russell had led cleanly away from P1 on the grid as the race got underway, while the battle behind saw Norris clip the rear of Verstappen’s Red Bull and bang wheels with team mate Oscar Piastri, the Briton subsequently getting past his teammate in a close scrap.

    While Piastri voiced his unhappiness at how the incident had played out, Russell continued to lead up ahead in a commanding performance, the Silver Arrows driver proving unchallenged as he stormed to his second win of the season and fifth career triumph.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Russell, P2: Verstappen, P3: Norris, P4: Piastri, P5: Antonelli, P6: Leclerc, P7: Alonso, P8: Hamilton, P9: Bearman and P10: Sainz.

    What a result for Russell! A very dominating drive by the Mercedes man, he will be hoping the result will gain him a contract extension with the Silver Arrows. As for his teammate, a good race for him too finishing P5 for the young Italian.

    P2 for Verstappen, a really good weekend for him, the car seems to have a bit of pace now, which is needed in his late charge of the title battle. He didn’t really do much wrong during the race, just Russell was zooming ahead.

    A great result for Norris P3 for the Championship contender, a bit of a controversial move on his teammate at the start of the race. And Piastri was not happy at all, but Norris kept his pace up and came home with that all important podium finish.
    Obviously, the team have now officially won the Constructors’ Championship! Now they can fully focus on getting a potential 1-2 finish in the Drivers’ Championship.

    An okay result for Ferrari, they seemed to have more pace before the race. Leclerc finished P6 and Hamilton P8 after an 5 second penalty was applied to Hamilton after the race for exceeding track limits.

    P7 for Alonso, a good result for him and Aston Martin. It’s been a few weekends since his been in the points but good for the team.

    Points for Bearman! A really good result for him in the Haas, again it’s been a few races since his been in the points so a really good showing from the young Brit.

    P10 for Sainz! What a drive from the Williams driver, from being disqualified from Qualifying to getting back in the points, which is a really good result.

    It feels amazing, especially after what happened a couple of years ago. That was a bit of a missed opportunity, but we more than made up for it today. I’m so grateful for the team, they did an amazing job this whole weekend. We don’t really know where this performance came from, but I’m really happy.
    Russell on the win.

  • R10 – Canada

    George Russell has clinched Mercedes’ first victory of the season in the Canadian Grand Prix, a race that ended in dramatic style after a collision between McLaren team mates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris that saw the latter crash out.

    It had been a strong start from pole position for Russell, the Briton launching away cleanly to hold the lead from Max Verstappen. What followed was a race of different strategies across the pack, with some opting for a two-stop plan while others tried to nurse their tyres on a one-stop.

    Most of the front runners executed a two-stop strategy, setting up for a thrilling finale as the gaps amongst the top five cars became increasingly close in the closing stages.
    While Russell was leading from Verstappen, Piastri was trying to catch Kimi Antonelli for third – but the Australian also had Norris hot on his tail.

    The McLaren pair then engaged in a feisty battle and contact occurred between them after Norris hit the back of Piastri’s car, resulting in Norris parking up at the side of the track.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Russell, P2: Verstappen, P3: Antonelli, P4: Piastri, P5: Leclerc, P6: Hamilton, P7: Alonso, P8: Hulkenberg, P9: Ocon and P10: Sainz.

    What a result for the Mercedes duo, their first win of the 2025 season and done in style by Russell and it makes up from last year’s Canadian Grand Prix. As for Antonelli, his first podium in F1 in his rookie season! It makes him the third youngest podium sitter.

    A very good result for Verstappen, I think he would have liked the win, but with different strategies going on up and down the field it was a difficult one to grasp.
    As for his teammate, Tsunoda finished outside of the points in P12, after starting from 18th… Not a very good weekend for him.

    P4 for Piastri, a shame he didn’t get on the podium as he was closing in on Antonelli, but sometimes it’s not meant to be. However, it wasn’t a smooth sailing race for the McLaren’s, late on in the race Norris was closing in on Piastri and it all came to blows, after Norris went for a very tight gap which he shouldn’t of gone for and clipped the back of Piastri wheel which saw Norris’ front wing come off and damage the front axel skidding himself along the pit wall and out of the race.
    Piastri was okay to carry on and finish the race as he had no damage at all.
    A gutting end to the weekend for Norris, but it was a mistake which he owned up to straight away and took full responsibility, he will be looking towards the next race weekend.

    A decent result for the Ferrari’s, but still not amazing. P5 for Leclerc and P6 for Hamilton, the latter was no where in the race as he suffered damage to his Ferrari early on in the race.

    Points for Alonso again, a good display of the improvements Aston Martin are making, every point scoring finish for the Silverstone based team will be vital at the end of the season.

    Hulkenberg also was in the points again for the second race weekend in a row, lots of improvements made from the Stake team and it is great to see.

    Now we have a little break before the next race weekend and it’s a double header starting in Austria on the 27th – 29th June!

  • R6 – Miami Sprint Qualifying

    Kimi Antonelli has clinched his debut pole position after delivering a stunning lap during Sprint Qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix, the Italian holding off the challenge from both McLaren’s to become the youngest polesitter ever – in any race format – in F1.

    A thrilling conclusion to SQ3 saw the name at the top of the timesheets change more than once, with Max Verstappen initially beating George Russell’s benchmark – only for Antonelli to surge through with an effort of 1m 26.482s at the wheel of the Mercedes.

    Oscar Piastri fell short by just 0.045s in second, while fellow McLaren driver Lando Norris had to settle for third.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Antonelli, P2: Piastri, P3: Norris, P4: Verstappen, P5: Russell, P6: Leclerc, P7: Hamilton, P8: Albon, P9: Hadjar and P10: Alonso.

    What a result from Antonelli! First ever pole position and what a way to do it! A great result for the Italian and a promising start to the weekend! Hopefully he can turn it into a Sprint win.
    As for his teammate, Russell qualified 5th, not a bad result as it was very close between the top 6.

    A good result for McLaren P2 and P3. They’ve got a good opportunity for the sprint race, this should boost Norris’s confidence a bit more now, as he has seem to struggled this season.

    A decent result for Verstappen, P4 for the four time world champion! As for his teammate Tsunoda was out in SQ1 after failing to make it to the line to start a lap, very unfortunate for him.

    A decent result for Ferrari, 6th for Leclerc and 7th for Hamilton, a good result for the team and potential for some points today in the sprint race.

    A good result for Albon, P8! I think this is now just the normal for Williams, a familiar face in the top 10’s now.

    P10 for Alonso, nice to see him making an appearance in the top 10, he will be looking to see if the Aston Martin car can get into the points.

  • Vesti to drive in FP1 at Bahrain

    Frederik Vesti will be driving for Mercedes in the opening session for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

    Mercedes’ test and reserve driver, will be taking over George Russell’s W16 for FP1 at the Bahrain International Circuit, having already assisted the squad with simulator work at Brackley this year.

    This is the Dane’s third appearance in a grand prix weekend, having also driven in FP1 for Mercedes in Mexico and Abu Dhabi in 2023.

    This year, he is dovetailing his Mercedes commitments with a drive in the IMSA Sports Car Championship with the factory backed Action Express Cadillac team.

    New for 2025 signing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has already fulfilled the requirements for Mercedes in Australia and China, but now that the Italian has completed two grands prix, he is no longer considered a rookie for this purpose.

    The Sakhir circuit is seen as an ideal venue for F1 teams to bring in newcomers, as they already have a substantial amount of data from the track during pre-season testing in February.

    I am really looking forward to getting my first taste of the W16 in FP1 in Bahrain. Being able to put all of my simulator work into practice on the track is a really exciting prospect for me. At the start of the year, I set myself the goal of maximising every chance I get behind the wheel of an F1 car in 2025, and that is what I hope to achieve in Bahrain. I will be doing everything I can to help the team, George, and Kimi get set for the rest of the weekend. I am grateful to Mercedes for once again giving me this opportunity.
    Vesti on the news.

  • Mercedes announce car reveal date

    Mercedes have confirmed that their 2025 F1 car will be revealed to the world on February 24th, just a few days after the team unveil their livery during the inaugural season launch event at London’s 02.

    The squad’s challenger for the campaign ahead – the Mercedes-AMG F1 W16 E Performance is set to break cover ahead of what will be a new era for the Silver Arrows driver-wise, with rookie Kimi Antonelli joining the incumbent George Russell following Lewis Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari.

    Details have not yet been revealed about where the car launch will take place, but the event will come just under a week after Mercedes join the other nine teams on the grid for the F1 75 launch event in London.

    The livery that will adorn the W16 will be unveiled during the special event, with Toto Wolff recently stating that the squad will continue to use black on their car, a colour scheme that Hamilton was instrumental in introducing back in 2020.

    Mercedes are the latest team to announce a reveal date for their car: Williams on 14th, Haas 16th for a filming day at Silverstone, Ferrari on the 19th.

    All 10 teams will head to the Bahrain International Circuit for pre-season testing for three days from February 26th – 28th ahead of the season opening Australian grand Prix.

  • Bottas re-joins Mercedes as reserve

    Mercedes have announced that Valtteri Bottas will return to the team as a reserve driver for the 2025 season, after the Finn and Kick Sauber parted company following the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

    Bottas drove for Mercedes for five seasons alongside Lewis Hamilton from 2017 – 2021, securing all 10 of his career wins with the Silver Arrows, as well as his 20 pole positions in Formula 1.

    He would then join Sauber, known as Alfa Romeo at the time for the 2022 season after Mercedes chose to promote George Russell in his place, the Finn enduring mixed fortunes with the Swiss team ranging from a strong 10th in 2022 to failing to score at all in 2024.

    When Kick Sauber opted not to re-sign Bottas for 2025 – instead choosing a new combination of Nico Hulkenberg and Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto – the Finn began talks with Mercedes about a reserve role in a bid to stay in the conversation as he pursues a racing return next season.

    His reserve role will involve him attending most, if not all, the Grand Prix and supporting George Russell and debutant Kimi Antonelli.

    Returning home to the Mercedes family as third driver for 2025 is what’s next and I couldn’t be more pleased. I want to thank Toto [Wolff, Mercedes team boss], the team at Brackley, and everyone at the three-pointed star for welcoming me back with open arms.Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I’ve still got so much more to contribute to F1. Since I was a five-year-old kid growing up in Nastola, Finland, my focus has been on achieving success in the top tier of motorsport. I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed many incredible moments in my 12 years of racing in F1 so far. As I return to the place where so many of those moments were achieved, I’m looking forward to using all the knowledge I’ve gained to help the team to perform and progress towards our goal of fighting for world championships.
    Bottas on the news.

    Welcome home, Valtteri! It’s great to have you back. His impact and contribution in the five years he was with us previously as our race driver was immense. Along with scoring multiple Grands Prix wins, he played a vital role in five of our championship victories. His technical feedback and input were important in helping us to those successes and pushing the team forward. Not only that, but he was also a fantastic colleague and team member. His dry sense of humour and personable nature made him a firm favourite with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth. In his role as Reserve Driver, all those qualities will be incredibly important in helping us compete for world championships and supporting both George and Kimi on track.
    Toto Wolff on the news.

  • Schumacher to leave Mercedes as reserve driver at end of 2024.

    Mercedes have confirmed that Mick Schumacher will leave his role as the squad’s reserve driver at he end of 2024 following two years with the team.

    Schumacher joined the Brackley team ahead of the 2023 season – off the back of a two-season stint on the grid with Haas – and has since gone on to perform simulator work for the Silver Arrows as well as providing feedback during tests and races.

    Alongside this position, Schumacher has also competed for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and now looks set to pursue new opportunities in 2025 following news of his exit from Mercedes.
    With Alpine also confirming the German driver will again be one of their six drivers for the 2025 campaign.

    Mick’s hard work, diligence, and determination in his role as Reserve Driver has been vital for the team over the past two years. From his work in the simulator, testing of various cars, and being part of the trackside team, we couldn’t have asked for any more from him. From day one, he fitted into the team with ease and has become an incredibly well-liked colleague for everyone at Brackley and Brixworth. However, Mick is first and foremost a racing driver. We have seen from both his time in F1, and this year with his performances in the World Endurance Championship, that he is a racer of an incredibly high calibre and one that deserves to be competing in the very best championships. As he moves on to his next challenge, I would like to thank Mick personally for his contribution to our team and we all wish him the very best in his future endeavours.
    Wolff on the news.

    I am grateful to Toto and the entire Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team for the insight I have gained over these two years. They have undoubtedly made me a more experienced racing driver because I have got to know the engineering side better. But watching these cars race and not sitting in the cockpit myself is tough. I want to get back to focusing 100% on racing. I want to be fully committed to the sporting side of motorsport. Ultimately, it is racing that you want to do as a driver, it is racing that gives you that feeling you love.
    Schumacher on leaving the team.

  • Alpine to use Mercedes power unit from 2026

    Alpine have secured a deal with Mercedes to run the German manufacturer’s power unit from 2026 until at least the end of 2030.

    The deal also involves taking a supply of their gearbox from the start of 2026 – though sources say Alpine are planning on producing their own gearbox in-house at Enstone from 2027.

    Last month, Alpine confirmed they will shut down their works engine programme at the end of next season as part of their ‘Hypertech’ transformation project.

    The team had already been in talks with other manufacturers about a customer engine supply, with Mercedes emerging as the team to strike a deal first.

    Alpine will continue to manufacturer their own power units through the 2025 campaign before switching in 2026, when new power unit rules come in to play – that feature a greater focus on the battery and use of 100% sustainable fuels.

    Alpine secured their biggest points haul of the season with a remarkable double podium finish last time out in Brazil. Which catapulted them up three places to sixth in the constructors’ championship with three Grands Prix to go.

    The multi-year agreement will see Mercedes-Benz supply Alpine with Power Units for the duration of the new regulations era, from 2026 until at least 2030. Alongside the Power Unit, Alpine will also be supplied with Mercedes gearboxes from the 2026 season. The team remains focused on performing in the strongest way possible in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
    Alpine’s statement.