All articles tagged with #mercedes
Mercedes head to Silverstone for British Grand Prix qualifying as the team to beat, with George Russell and a season-dominant qualifying form aiming for pole in a 60-minute session from 16:00–17:00, while Hamilton, Red Bull, and Norris remain threats to upset the order.
Silverstone hosts the F1 Sprint for the second time since 2021, with Mercedes favored after George Russell’s Sprint wins in China and Canada and Lando Norris’s Miami victory; teams chase the maximum eight points in a 17-lap sprint starting at 12:00, with live updates.
George Russell beat Andrea Kimi Antonelli to top the final practice at the Austrian Grand Prix, posting a 1m07.096s as Antonelli could only manage 1m07.134s. Hamilton was third for Ferrari, with Norris, Verstappen, and Leclerc among the rest in the mix as Mercedes showed firm form ahead of qualifying at the Red Bull Ring.
Kimi Antonelli topped FP2 at the Austrian Grand Prix, clocking a 1m07.014s to go fastest after leading FP1 on a scorching day at the Red Bull Ring. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris split the Mercedes driver, with Verstappen fourth and Hamilton fifth as teams faced heat-induced reliability hiccups (Albon reported no power, Perez stopped with overheating) before the final runs, while the rest of the field tested harder compounds late in the session.
Mercedes led Friday practice in Spielberg with Kimi Antonelli fastest and delivering the strongest long-run pace, while Ferrari’s upgraded power unit failed to close the gap. Leclerc and Ferrari were notably slower in both single-lap and long-run simulations, McLaren showed some pace but struggled with tyre degradation, and Red Bull’s upgrade did not yield a breakthrough. With hot conditions increasing tyre wear, a two- to three-stop race looks likely.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli topped FP2 with a 1m07.014s, repeating his FP1 pace on a scorching Red Bull Ring day, as McLaren’s Piastri and Norris chased him; Verstappen and Hamilton followed in the top five amid heat-related reliability hiccups and early engine/overheating issues elsewhere.
Mercedes confirmed Kimi Antonelli retired from the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix due to an electrical shutdown after briefly passing teammate George Russell for second; the DNF leaves Antonelli’s points lead at 50 and lets Russell gain 18 points on him, while Hamilton sits nine points ahead of Russell after his win. This marks Mercedes’ second DNF of the season.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff warned that Lewis Hamilton remains a real threat in Barcelona if the car suits him and he’s in the right frame of mind, as Hamilton qualified P2 behind George Russell with Kimi Antonelli in third.
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff says the team is exploring remedies for George Russell after FIA stewards reversed Pierre Gasly’s Monaco penalty and reinstated Gasly, though Russell’s drive-through penalty remains and an actual appeal is unlikely. The Monaco decision, tied to a pit-lane timing error, has the team reassessing timing/regulatory options while learning from the incident to prevent repeats in the future.
George Russell was left bemused by a pace deficit to title rival Andrea Kimi Antonelli as Antonelli took pole for the Monaco Grand Prix with a 1:12.051, while Russell qualified sixth about three tenths off the pace. Russell says the gap stems from differences in driving style and tyre window, with Antonelli getting the tyres in a nicer window around Monaco’s tight streets; Mercedes’ dominance in 2026 hasn’t yet translated to Russell’s results as he searches for answers amid a string of issues and a dip in form since Melbourne.
Mercedes race engineer Peter Bonnington praised 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli’s rapid rise after he secured pole for the Monaco Grand Prix, saying the Italian showed raw talent early in testing and then transformed in Monaco. He stressed giving Antonelli freedom to enjoy driving and to stay focused on the process rather than the title, noting that FP1 pace surprised them and that Antonelli has progressed through Mercedes’ Junior ranks since 2019 and joined the F1 team in 2025.
Kimi Antonelli said he sought clarity from Toto Wolff on Mercedes’ engagement rules after his Sprint clash with teammate George Russell at the Canadian GP; Wolff spoke to both drivers and Antonelli said the discussions clarified the situation and that there’s no contact going forward, though he plans to recheck rules ahead of future races.
George Russell beat team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 0.068s in Canadian GP qualifying, a razor-thin margin largely decided by tyre-temperature management and a late push lap after Mercedes’ setup tweaks; telemetry indicated Antonelli led sector 1, but Russell gained in sector 2 and the final chicane, with a possible missed downshift costing Antonelli pole.
George Russell won the Canadian Grand Prix sprint after a fraught duel with Mercedes teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, accompanied by tense team radio exchanges and a Wolff intervention; qualifying is due later. Norris and Piastri also featured in the sprint, while Lindblad picked up points in the wider race.
George Russell wins the Canadian Grand Prix Sprint for Mercedes, with Lando Norris second and Kimi Antonelli third; Antonelli later pressed for a penalty against Russell amid a tense Mercedes-led duel.