HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA KIMI ANTONELLI | MERCEDES

 

NORRIS DISPUTES ANTONELLI'S MERCEDES CLAIM AFTER BEATING CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER AT DUTCH GP

Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli.Photo: RacePictures

Lando Norris has disputed Kimi Antonelli's claim that Mercedes are no longer the fastest car in Formula 1, after beating the Italian to victory at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Antonelli finished second at Zandvoort, after the championship leader was overtaken by the reigning champion, who went on to claim his second consecutive victory after his triumph in Hungary.

The Mercedes teenager, who only has one win in his last six races, after winning five back-to-back races prior to that, claimed after the race that he now only has the 'second or third best car'. However, Norris disagreed with his rival's assessment, arguing that Mercedes remain the benchmark despite McLaren's victory.

Antonelli: 'We're clearly not the fastest car anymore'

Speaking in the post-race press conference, Antonelli told the media: "We're clearly not the fastest car anymore on the grid. We’re probably second or third, at least in today’s race, and McLaren has taken a huge step, especially since Hungary, since the big upgrade package they brought.

"But I’m confident with the team. You know, the team has been working super hard on this next package that is coming up, and they just want to make sure that it’s going to work out well once we put it on.

"So for sure, in this race, it’s going to be more difficult, it’s going to be challenging, but we’re ready to do our best and to maximise every opportunity. And then hopefully it’s going to be our turn to bring the package that’s going to give us a little bit of the upper hand again.

Norris disagrees with Antonelli's Mercedes claim

Norris, who showed up at the press conference later than the two Mercedes drivers who joined him on the podium, disagreed with Antonelli insisting they still have the 'better all-round performing car'. He also credited his own performance after his second consecutive victory.

Asked about Antonelli's comments, he responded: "Well, they’re not going to say themselves, are they? So, yeah, no, they’re not going to say themselves. So they’re the team to beat if they just got beaten today, so I don’t think it’s true."

He added: "But for once I would give myself a little bit of credit that I feel like I’m doing a better job than everyone, and I think that can also make a difference. We certainly have a car now capable of beating them. Even, like, we look at yesterday and in qualifying, but we didn’t win yesterday and we didn’t really change much.

"But I worked a lot on my driving. I want to believe more than everyone else again, and we turned things around today. So we certainly have a very similar car, I would say, all in all, to Mercedes, but I think they have a better all-round performing car than what we do. We are more specific in high speed."

- Kieran Lynch

GEORGE RUSSELL BLAMES A MERCEDES POWER FAILURE, NOT LEWIS HAMILTON, FOR HIS BELGIAN GRAND PRIX TITLE BLOW

• George Russell retired from the Belgian Grand Prix on lap one after colliding with Lewis Hamilton, but he pinned the cause on a Mercedes power problem rather than his former teammate

• Hamilton received a five-second penalty for the clash, yet both drivers agreed afterward that it was a racing incident

• Toto Wolff confirmed all Mercedes engines lacked power on the straights in the race, extending a pattern of reliability issues that has cost the team points all season

Getty Images 

George Russell’s Belgian Grand Prix ended on the opening lap, but the Mercedes driver said a problem with his own car, rather than the collision that put him in the gravel, was the real cause of his retirement.

Russell started third at Spa-Francorchamps and held the position through the first corner before Lewis Hamilton passed him along the Kemmel Straight. Russell moved to the outside of Hamilton into the braking zone at Les Combes to try to reclaim the place, the pair made contact, and Russell was spun into the gravel and out of the race. Hamilton received a five-second penalty for the collision, but Russell placed no blame on his former Mercedes teammate.

‘I Just Got Totally Swallowed Up Down the Straight’

“I just got totally swallowed up down the straight,” Russell told Sky Sports F1. “I lost three positions down the straight down into Turn Five and then the incident was a racing incident.”

“Maybe I could have gone a bit wider, maybe he (Hamilton) could have braked a bit more. The incident shouldn’t have happened if I had the speed down the straight,” Russell added. “Very, very disappointed.”

The collision followed a qualifying session in which Russell had already flagged a lack of power, finishing more than half a second off pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli in fourth. He had spent Thursday’s media day discussing changes to his driving style to try to find lost time in this year’s cars, only to reverse that thinking on Saturday and conclude his technique was not the problem.

“I appreciate everyone is working hard to solve the problem, but I’m stood here [in the TV interview pen] on lap five of the race,” Russell said when asked how Mercedes could get to the bottom of the issue. “It felt like I was in a good position to fight for the lead up to Turn One and then, suddenly, no power and it’s all gone.”

Hamilton Agrees It Was Nobody’s Fault

Hamilton, who went on to finish fourth carrying the penalty and separate front-wing damage, echoed Russell’s read on the incident once the race was over.

“Ultimately, sorry for George because that obviously ended his race, but I did think… I do agree that it was a racing incident,” Hamilton said. “It’s not like I went in aggressive and was misplaced or anything like that. I think it was just an unfortunate scenario, which happens in racing. Then I had damage as well, so I carried that through the race. It was a tough one.”

Wolff Confirms a Problem Across the Whole Grid

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff went further than Russell in explaining what had gone wrong, confirming that every Mercedes-powered car on the grid had lost straight-line performance in the race. As well as building their own engines, Mercedes also supply McLaren, Alpine and Williams with power units.

“The accident that happened was unfortunate for us. We lost a lot of constructors’ points and George’s drivers’ points,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “We had an issue on all Mercedes engines that we lacked the power out on the straights. That hit him badly and it 100 per cent goes on us.”

“We are trying our best as a team. We have the most powerful power unit, a strong car that is capable of winning,” Wolff added. “Everyone is giving their maximum to minimise the mistakes and still it happens because we are humans at work.”

A Season Defined by Reliability, Not Pace

Russell’s retirement at Spa was his second of the season following an engine failure in Canada. His teammate Kimi Antonelli has had his own share of mechanical trouble, retiring in Barcelona after an engine failure and dropping from a likely victory to outside the points at Silverstone after a wheel-guard failure.

“We let Kimi down at Silverstone where George got a podium, which is maybe better than the result should have been,” Wolff said. “Then one DNF for Montreal, the other in Barcelona. That’s a little bit of the story of our season. It’s a technical sport, a mechanical sport.”

“We came out with a product [power unit] that is so strong and I’d rather fix the reliability rather than accelerate a slow engine, or slow car,” he continued. “We are giving it 100 per cent and need to give it 100 per cent because we lost a lot of points with reliability. We should be much further ahead than we are.”

Championship Fallout

The result dropped Russell 50 points behind championship leader Antonelli, and Hamilton’s fourth place moved him back ahead of Russell into second in the standings, 45 points off the lead.

- Jack Renn

MERCEDES HAS BEEN FINED BY FIA FOR UNSAFE RELEASE AT SPA

 

KIMI ANTONELLI WINS THE 2026 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

 

GEORGE RUSSELL WINS THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX 2026 | ROUND 08

 

KIMI ANTONELLI FASTEST IN FP1 & FP2 | AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX 2026

 

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON | GRAND PRIX WINS PER F1 TEAM

 

KIMI ANTONELLI FIRES BACK WHEN GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS | CANADIAN GRAND PRIX 2026

 

SILVER ARROW WARS 2.0 | MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS

 

KIMI ANTONELLI MAKES F1 HISTORY AGAIN

 

GEORGE RUSSELL ISSUED 'PSYCHOLOGICAL' WARNING AHEAD OF F1 CANADIAN GP

George Russell is looking to bounce back in Canada

Martin Brundle has warned George Russell that winning this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix is an important “psychological” step in his quest to win the Formula 1 World Championship.

The Mercedes driver has fallen 20 points behind teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ standings, with Italian teenager’s blistering seeing him triumph in the last three Grands Prix.

The results have swung against the pre-season narrative that Russell was indeed the title favourite, which was initially furthered with success in the opening round in Australia.

Whilst McLaren and Red Bull have appeared to catch-up to Mercedes, the German marque is still the standout overall favourite for both title crowns, leaving Russell with what appears to be a big chance to close the gap to Antonelli.

And whilst Brundle, speaking to Sky Sports News, acknowledged there is a “long way to go” in the championship, a victory in Montreal this weekend would give Russell a chance to firmly press the reset button.

“There’s a long way to go. There’s 482 points available in this championship,” he said.

“I don’t think the points deficit is that much of a problem for George Russell.

“For example, last year in Canada, Lando Norris had a clumsy accident with his team-mate Oscar Piastri in the McLaren, and that looked like he’d hurt his championship chances, then he goes on to become World Champion.

“This is only our fifth Grand Prix of the season, and it’s going to be a challenging one. It’s the first Sprint in Canada.

“It’s going to be cold. It might be wet on race day. It’s going to be quite the challenge.

"George needs to stop Antonelli in his tracks and get a few points back against him, but I think it’s more psychological than the mathematics.”

George Russell struggled to keep with teammate Kimi Antonelli in Miami, and enters this weekend’s race 20 points behind

'Mighty’ Antonelli but Canada strength could see George Russell resurgence – Brundle

Antonelli has certainly silenced the doubters, the teenager having been lambasted for a number of performances across his debut campaign, with Russell often outperforming the W16.

Brundle was full of praise for the sport’s youngest-ever title-leader, however did point out that Russell, who often performs well in Canada – winning the race last year, with Antonelli third – could prove to be a sterner test than he previously was last time out in the Miami Grand Prix.

“He’s been mighty, his speed, his consistency. He kept his head under pressure in Miami,” he said.

“George Russell struggles in Miami, but is very strong in Canada, so Kimi will have a bigger fight on his hands across the garage and a lot of teams are bringing upgrades.

“But, Kimi’s raw pace and consistency has been super impressive.”

With Antonelli still shaking off the 2025 criticisms, every Grand Prix feels like a litmus test for the young Italian. And if he can navigate the latest one, his title credentials will soar once again.

- Jack Oliver Smith

MERCEDES BRING FIRST MAJOR UPGRADE OF F1 2026 TO CANADIAN GRAND PRIX IN BID TO FEND OFF RIVALS

Mercedes confirms it is bringing an anticipated upgrade to the Canadian Grand Prix.

Mercedes is unbeaten so far in 2026

Mercedes has confirmed it will bring its first major upgrade of the 2026 Formula 1 season to the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend.

F1 returns to action in Montreal following a three-week break with Mercedes looking to continue its unbeaten start to the campaign.

Mercedes has claimed pole position and won all four of the opening races, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinching three consecutive victories to build a surprise 20-point advantage over team-mate George Russell in the championship.

Antonelli celebrates his third straight F1 win

Despite Mercedes’ strong start to the season, its rivals - especially McLaren - closed the gap by bringing significant upgrades at the last round in Miami.

Mercedes did not update its W17 challenger in Miami, opting instead to debut a bigger upgrade in Canada.

“Our competitors took a step forward in Miami and we need to respond; seven Grands Prix in 10 weekends before shutdown is an opportunity to do that and build momentum,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said.

“We bring our first update package of the year to Montreal, but we know that performance is only performance once it is delivered on track.

“Despite being in the middle of May, we are just four races into the season. There is a long year ahead and, whilst this is an important weekend, it will not decide any outcomes.

“We will stay balanced, keep learning, and execute each weekend as well as we can. We won't get too high when we succeed or too low in the difficult moments; that is as true for our drivers as it is for the rest of the team.”

MCLAREN NOT DONE WITH DEVELOPMENT

Norris led a McLaren 1-2 in the Miami sprint

Reigning world champion Lando Norris beat Antonelli to pole for the Miami sprint and went on to lead a dominant McLaren 1-2 in Saturday’s shortened race, before having to settle for second behind Antonelli in the main grand prix.

McLaren nevertheless made an encouraging step forward compared to Mercedes and will continue to bring new parts to their MCL40, which was heavily revised in Miami.

"We feel extremely satisfied with the weekend, very encouraged, not only because in a single weekend we scored more points than the three previous races, but also because of the trend that we have established," McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said.

"We know that we have some more upgrades coming, which are kind of coming from the same group, so we are optimistic that they may allow us to take some further steps forward.

"I think Mercedes still possess a couple of tenths advantage on anybody else. This was the most noticeable today in the race and [in grand prix qualifying]. I think in the first sprint section of the weekend, for some reason Mercedes didn't express its full potential.

"So, I think Mercedes is still the best team, probably because we don't have many high speed corners here it's less noticeable than some other tracks. But I think they also did a good job of optimising what they had after having learned from the sprint qualifying and the sprint race."

- Lewis Larkam

KIMI ANTONELLI MAKES HISTORY AT MIAMI GRAND PRIX 2I26

 

Kimi Antonelli becomes the 23rd driver in F1 history to win three straight Grands Prix!

20 on that list have gone on to become World Champion.

TEAN VERSTAPPEN JOINS MERCEDES-AMG'S PERFORMANCE TEAMS FOR 2026

 

MERCEDES-AMGS LOCK OUT TOP 3 ON BATHURST GRID

STM’s Cam Waters grabs Bathurst 12H pole as Mercedes-AMG teams lock out top three…

Photo: Gruppe C Photography/SRO

Mercedes-AMG teams annexed the top three positions on the grid for this weekend’s Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour, as Cam Waters topped the Pirelli Pole Battle to put the No. 222 Scott Taylor Motorsport car on pole position for the Australian enduro.

Having led the way in the final practice session and the first segment of qualifying earlier on Saturday, Waters continued his form as he set a best lap of 2:01.079 in the 15-minute session that decided the top ten grid spots for the Intercontinental GT Challenge opener.

That lap initially put the No. 222 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo more than three tenths up on the field, but Lucas Auer — the only driver to have made it to the Pole Battle from Q1 — cut the deficit to 0.177 seconds to grab second on the grid for Craft-Bamboo Racing.

Luca Stolz put the 75 Express Mercedes-AMG third with a lap 0.215 seconds off the pace, with a last-ditch attempt to improve on that time not bearing fruit.

Best of the rest behind the Mercedes-AMGs was the No. 911 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R as Matt Campbell left it late to jump to fourth ahead of the Jamec Racing/Team MPC Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II driven by Christopher Haase.

Wall Racing’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, which was already confirmed as the Bronze class pole winner heading into the session, was sixth in the hands of Marco Mapelli ahead of Raffaele Marciello in the No. 46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

Rounding off the top ten order were Scott Andrews in the No. 44 Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG, the only Pro-Am car to make the Pole Battle, the HRT Ford Mustang GT3 of Broc Feeney and Jayden Ojeda in the No. 6 Tigani machine.

The Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour is scheduled to begin Sunday 5:45 a.m. local time (Saturday 1:45 p.m. ET).

- Jamie Klein

KIMI ANTONELLI & MOTOGP LEGEND VALENTINO ROSSI

Kimi Antonelli with Motogp Legend Valentino Rossi ❤️🇮🇹

 

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS

 

GEORGE RUSSELL SPORTING TOMMY HILFIGER 🔥

Mercedes-AMG

 

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON | STATS