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

MERCEDES CHIEF SEND CLEAR WARNING TO GEORGE RUSSELL AND KIMI ANTONELLI AHEAD OF F1 RETURN

Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta has issued a warning to George Russell and Kimi Antonelli about their chances of winning the F1 world championship.

At the halfway point of a thrilling F1 campaign, Mercedes have established a lead at the top of the constructors' championship, largely thanks to Antonelli's incredible form.

The 19-year-old has won six of the 11 Grands Prix, including nine podiums, with the teenager recording a third-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix last time out.

Despite leading throughout the opening months of the season, Mercedes' dominant streak did come to an end before the summer shutdown, with five different drivers tasting victory in the races leading up to the August break.

Lewis Hamilton is enjoying a strong resurgence with Ferrari, and he's currently 50 points behind Antonelli in the race for the drivers' championship as he aims to win his eighth world title.

Ferrari have also closed the gap to 72 points behind Mercedes in the constructors' table, setting up a potentially thrilling second half of the season.

The seven-time world champion is the most likely to threaten Antonelli's dominance, and Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta has warned their drivers that they will face more "intense battles" once the action resumes in Zandvoort on August 23.

"History tells us that the championship always changes after the summer shutdown," Resta told Mercedes' Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show.

"The pressure increases on the teams that are leading, but equally it increases on the teams trying to catch up. The environment becomes more intense, and every result carries more weight. That's when you really see the strength and resilience of an organisation.

"It's where teams demonstrate whether they can handle the pressure and continue performing when the stakes become higher. I'm very interested to see that phase of the season unfold because it's often where championships are ultimately won or lost."

Mercedes have let a healthy advantage at the top slip in recent weeks, with reliability woes and a convergence in race pace allowing the chasing pack to close in.

But Resta is doing his best to keep the team grounded, as there is a long way to go before they can think about winning their ninth constructors' championship.

Kimi Antonelli backed to become like George Russell

Antonelli's mesmeric performances across the F1 campaign have featured an aggressive style, and this fearlessness has played a huge part in his dominance.

Teammate Russell, on the other hand - currently 59 points behind the Italian - has been calmer rather than aggressive with his displays.

According to former F1 driver Thierry Boutsen, Antonelli's approach is no different from how Russell drove at the start of his career.

"I think if you take George from his first F1 season, he would have been as aggressive as Kimi," Boutsen said.

"But he’s learned a lot, he’s calmed down also, he’s got more maturity. He races a totally different way. I believe that Kimi will be the same in three, four years. He will drive very differently to today."

Antonelli has been tipped to adapt his style as he gets older, but right now, his assertiveness and bravery on the track has held the key to a stunning campaign so far.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images

- Thomas Griffin

WOLFF WEIGHS IN AMID MERCEDES AND MCLAREN MCL40 UPGRADE STAND-OFF

 

Toto Wolff gave his verdict on McLaren winning the Hungarian Grand Prix

The McLaren resurgence in Hungary has sparked a debate over exactly how much of a role the MCL40 upgrade package played.

Mercedes’ Simone Resta suggested that more was behind the McLaren result. Andrea Stella said the upgrades alone sparked McLaren’s return to the F1 summit. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has weighed in, claiming a clear step forward for McLaren. Yet, he also pointed to McLaren’s recent impressive record at the Hungaroring.

Toto Wolff declares McLaren step, but…

McLaren’s revisions for its MCL40 in Budapest included a revised floor body design, rear wing endplate and rear corner winglets.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri went on to contend for the victory. After a Carlos Sainz collision and later a gearbox failure, Piastri was eliminated from the race, as Norris drove on to an impressive win.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella told PlanetF1.com and others post-race that “the improvement, from a competitiveness point of view, can be entirely ascribed to the upgrades that we took here.”

Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta was not so sure.

“The update package was certainly significant, and it must have contributed to their performance,” Resta said on the Nu Silver Arrows radio show.

“At the same time, if you look at the gap between their two cars, there was clearly more to it than the upgrade alone.

“Throughout the year we’ve seen McLaren perform very strongly, with the balance of performance between their two drivers varying from race to race.

“We’ve also seen strong performances from Lando several times this season.

“Budapest may simply have been one of those weekends where he found himself in a particularly good place with the car, the setup and tyre management. I think it was probably a combination of both factors.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has had his say. Similarly to Resta, he acknowledged that McLaren found performance with its upgrades.

But Wolff was also keen to stress the Hungaroring as a potential caveat.

McLaren has now won the last three Hungarian GPs.

“When you ask the artificial intelligence who would be the favourites in Budapest, the artificial intelligence is going to say McLaren, because they were the dominant team here in the last few years,” Wolff told PlanetF1.com and others.

“So definitely one of the good tracks for them, and not very good for us.

“So we need to be careful not to swing from everyone is suddenly competitive, to a team is suddenly not competitive.

“I think they’ve definitely done a step. They are in the fight. We haven’t brought an upgrade for some time, and you can see that this is going to be a development fight also going forward.”

- Jamie Woodhouse

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 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX TO EXTEND F1 CHAMPIIONSHIP LEAD

Mercedes driver won his sixth GP of 2026 as championship rival and teammate George Russell crashes out on first lap.

Kimi Antonelli celebrates winning the Belgian Grand Prix for Mercedes at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, July 19 [Andrej Isakovic/AFP]

Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday to stretch his Formula One lead to 45 points over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton on a bleak day for teammate George Russell, his closest title rival heading into the race.

Russell had been the 19-year-old Italian’s closest rival before the start at Spa-Francorchamps, but the Briton spun off into the gravel on the opening lap after a collision with Hamilton while trying to make up places lost at lights out.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was second in the 44-lap race, 1.952 seconds behind after leading, thanks to a pit stop while a virtual safety car was deployed, with Max Verstappen third to give Red Bull their 300th Formula One podium.

Hamilton finished fourth, despite serving a five-second penalty for the collision with Russell, but remained under investigation for an unsafe release from a pit stop that could drop him to fifth and further stretch Antonelli’s lead.

It was Antonelli’s sixth win in 10 rounds this season, leaving him 50 points clear of Russell. Antonelli was first in qualifying, continuing Mercedes’ clean sweep of pole positions this season.

“It’s great to be back on the top step after a few difficult rounds,” said Antonelli, who had drawn a blank in two of the past three rounds.

“It was a hard-fought race. We lost first place with the VSC but then we managed to make our way back.

“The momentum was always there. It was just about getting the results,” he added. “Today we were a bit lucky with what happened in terms of the championship but you have to take every opportunity because we saw how much it can swing.”

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished fifth, with Isack Hadjar sixth for Red Bull from last on the grid. Reigning champion Lando Norris was seventh for McLaren after starting 13th due to a 10-place grid drop.

Gabriel Bortoleto brought more points for Audi in eighth place, with Arvid Lindblad ninth for Racing Bulls and Argentine Franco Colapinto completing the scoring in 10th place for Renault-owned Alpine.

- Reuters

KIMI ANTONELLI WINS THE 2026 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

 

RUSSELL HEATED AT MERCEDES, FERRARI PROBLEM? | F1 NEWS

 

GEORGE RUSSELL WINS THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX 2026 | ROUND 08

 

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

 

LEWIS HAMILTON SENDS WAR CRY AHEAD OF AUSTRIAN GP | CAN FERRARI BEAT MERCEDES?

 

Lewis Hamilton sends a war cry and a warning to Mercedes ahead of the Austrian GP as the Ferrari driver looks to beat the Silver Arrows once again to claim his second win of the 2026 F1 season on June 28.

Hamilton is now finally off the mark for the Scuderia after dominating the final part of the Barcelona GP, going on to beat George Russell by 19.5 seconds as the Brit and Maranello made a gutsy three-stop strategy work.

That win continues a strong run of form from the seven-time world champion, who has four podiums to his name and is yet to finish below sixth. He is just one of two driver to finish sixth or better in every race so far along with Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris

He remains the only driver to complete every lap of the season and leads the head-to-head against teammate Charles Leclerc 5-2 in Grand Prix races and 4-3 in qualifying, as he rebounds to his finest form following a difficult spell in the Ground Effect Era.

Now 41 points behind in the Formula 1 standings, the 41-year-old aims to continue closing the gap to Kimi Antonelli as he looks to catch his replacement after his decision to leave Brackley in February 2024.

The Italian, who was Toto Wolff’s pick for the seat, suffered a late DNF at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to narrow the gap in the drivers’ championship, despite winning five of the opening seven races – highlighting the fine margins in the sport.

And the 106-time winner has no intention of stopping with that single taste of glory as Hamilton sends a war cry to Mercedes ahead of Austrian GP that he is looking to chase down back-to-back wins.

“I’m thinking about arriving and I want to win this weekend,” Hamilton told media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “That’s my goal. That’s what I’ve been working for all week, last week and this week. I’ve not been having dinners.

“It’s head back down with the sacrifices you need to make to make sure that you arrive 100% so you can deliver for these people.

“Especially also knowing how far it reaches, the impact and decisions that I make in the car and what we do here. So those are the things I think about.”

Hamilton refused to enjoy final laps of Barcelona GP

After pitting under the virtual safety car to switch to hard tyres for his final stint to retain the lead of the Barcelona GP with younger tyres than the chasing pack behind him, Hamilton wasted no time breaking out of Overtake Mode range.

Within a lap he was clear of any danger from Russell and the gap only started to swell from there onwards, amassing to almost 20 seconds come the chequered flag on Lap 66 of the Barcelona GP on June 14.

But despite knowing he was comfortably clear of the field and capable of coasting to the finish, able to take as little risk as he wanted to, Hamilton admits he was not interested in enjoying the final laps and simply focused on bringing the car home.

“Honestly, I was almost praying that the car would make it to the finish,” Hamilton added. “I’ve experienced gearbox failures, engine failures, hydraulic issues, battery problems, and brake failures in the past, so you never take anything for granted.

“I was focused on not making mistakes and on bringing home the points for the team. During the final lap I actively stopped myself from thinking about the win because the job isn’t done until you’ve crossed the line.

“Even when I saw the crowd, I reminded myself there were still corners left. It wasn’t until I was well past the chequered flag and saw the team on the pit wall that I finally allowed myself to think, ‘OK, the job is done.’”

- Brandon Sutton

RED BULL REVEALS SEVEN-PART UPGRADE FOR CRUCIAL HOME F1 RACE AT AUSTRIAN GP

Red Bull has revealed an extensive upgrade package for the F1 Austrian Grand Prix.

Red Bull has brought a major upgrade to Austria

Red Bull has unveiled a substantial upgrade package for its home Formula 1 race, the Austrian Grand Prix. 

After bringing its first upgrades of the season to Miami, Red Bull has now unleashed an extensive raft of updates in a bid to improve its RB22 following a difficult start to the 2026 campaign. 

In total, Red Bull has made seven changes to its car for its home event at Spielberg. Red Bull has introduced a revised sidepod inlet and engine cover for reliability reasons to improve cooling.

Red Bull's upgrades for the Austrian Grand Prix

In terms of performance-related updates, Red Bull has made changes to the surface of the RB22’s floor, floor board, as well as reprofiling the rear suspension layout and rear corner.

Red Bull has also introduced a new rear wing and exhaust tailpipe, which features a revised overlap between the tailpipe exit profile and the supporting tailpipe bracket. 

Red Bull is aiming to find more aerodynamic performance and continue its weight-saving programme, having started the season with a car that was 12kg overweight. That figure was halved thanks to its Miami package. 

All eyes will be on Red Bull at its home race, particularly regarding the future of Max Verstappen. 

When asked how crucial the impact of the Austria upgrade and coming races will be for his future at Red Bull, Verstappen replied: “I think it's just crucial for us as a team, we want to improve from where we started this season to where we want to end it.

“We know that we are lacking performance, so it's more about just trying to improve the car. I think that's what everyone wants.”

Verstappen in the Austria paddock

The four-time world champion added: “Those are, of course, also the easier steps to make when you're far behind. The hardest step is always the last one, to really fight for the win. 

“So let's see how we can do that, to be in that fight again. I'm not sure [if that can happen this weekend]. But for sure, the team is always giving it 100% and pushing flat out to make the car faster.

“But we know that other teams are also constantly bringing upgrades. So we just need to always try and find a little bit more to try and close that gap. It was quite clear in Barcelona that there was still a gap, so hopefully it can be a bit better this weekend.”

Other front-running teams have joined Red Bull in bringing updates this weekend. 

Mercedes has a new front suspension and engine cover to improve performance and cooling respectively. The German manufacturer has also brought a battery fix to Austria, following Andrea Kimi Antonelli's late retirement at Barcelona.

Ferrari has brought a total of four updates, including changes to the SF-26’s front wing endplate, RV tail, floor board and mirror stay, while McLaren has introduced an updated rear corner and an “experimental rear wing” that will be trialled by reigning world champion Lando Norris on Friday. 

- Lewis Larkam

FORMULA 1 2026/27 SEASON WINNERS SO FAR

 

MERCEDES GRANTED FIA HEARING OVER GEORGE RUSSELL'S MONACO F1 PENALTY

The FIA has confirmed Mercedes' request for a review of the Monaco Grand Prix results, with a hearing scheduled for this Saturday ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix

George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: Erik Junius

The FIA has accepted Mercedes' request for a review of the Monaco Grand Prix result and George Russell's penalties, with a hearing scheduled for this Saturday, following Alpine's successful overturning of Pierre Gasly's penalties.

A document published by the FIA on Wednesday confirmed that Mercedes has lodged a Right of Review petition regarding the decision made by the Monaco stewards following Alpine's successful challenge against the penalties issued during the race.

That puts the Monaco Grrand Prix result in further doubt after it was already amended last week.

The hearing will take place in two stages. As per the regulations, the stewards will first determine whether Mercedes has presented a "significant and relevant new element" that was unavailable at the time of the original decision. If that threshold is met, the case will proceed to a second hearing, where the substance of the challenge will be considered.

The latest development follows the dramatic twist in the Monaco Grand Prix result that saw Gasly's two pitlane speeding penalties overturned.

Several drivers were penalised during the race for allegedly exceeding the 60km/h pitlane speed limit. Gasly received two separate five-second penalties, dropping him from a podium finish to seventh place in the final classification.

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine

However, Alpine successfully challenged those penalties after presenting evidence that the distance used by the official timing system in one of the pitlane timing sectors was incorrect for the Monaco pitlane layout. Formula One Management acknowledged the issue, admitting the timing system had been set up incorrectly, leading the stewards to rescind both penalties and restore Gasly to third place.

That decision immediately raised questions about the cases of other drivers who had received penalties under the same circumstances.

While the FIA stewards have not yet formally established that Russell's penalty was unjustified, the fact that FOM acknowledged the timing system was working incorrectly strongly suggests the Mercedes driver may also have been incorrectly penalised for speeding in the pitlane.

Russell was initially handed a five-second penalty for pitlane speeding. He then attempted to serve that penalty during a pitstop, but the stewards later determined that the penalty had not been served correctly. As a result, he received an additional drive-through penalty, which he served after the final restart.

The sequence dropped Russell out of the points, turning what had been a solid points-scoring afternoon into a point-less finish.

The consequences extended beyond Monaco itself, as Russell lost significant ground in the drivers' championship, with the zero score proving particularly costly in his battle against team-mate Kimi Antonelli.

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes

Two other teams are understood to be challenging what is now a provisional Monaco Grand Prix result, with McLaren having already confirmed on Tuesday that it has formally protested the decision to overturn Gasly's penalties.

Its driver Oscar Piastri was also penalised during the race but, unlike Gasly, served his penalty during the grand prix. As a result, the decision to reinstate Gasly's original race time effectively dropped Piastri from fourth to fifth in the final classification.

Red Bull has not confirmed that it has protested last week's stewards' decision, but it is understood to have done so as well, as it seeks to restore Isack Hadjar's podium finish.

Hadjar originally inherited third place after Gasly's penalties were applied, before losing the position again when the Alpine driver's sanctions were rescinded.

Following the stewards' decision to cancel Gasly's penalties, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed the team's intention to continue challenging the Monaco result.

While admitting it was a long shot to have Russell's result revised, Wolff stressed that Mercedes would explore every possible avenue to secure a better outcome for its driver.

Although Russell ultimately finished outside the top 10 after serving a drive-through penalty, he had been running third on the road before the sanction was applied.

Wolff suggested there may be a mechanism to revisit the result by converting Russell's drive-through penalty into an equivalent time penalty. Under the sporting regulations, a drive-through penalty that cannot be served during a race is converted into a 20-second addition to a driver's race time.

Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes, Lando Norris, McLaren

"A drive-through, if it didn't happen at the end, is equivalent of 20 seconds race time," Wolff said. "What would 20 seconds race time have meant for his result? Do we think that we realistically have a position, a chance of reverting the result? I don't think so, but we definitely have to give it a go if we see that there is a millimetre of chance to do so and bring him back to whatever it was before."

Wolff was referring to Article B1.9.6.c.iii of the sporting regulations, which covers situations where a driver is unable to serve a drive-through penalty during a race. In such cases, 20 seconds are added to the driver's final race time.

The Mercedes boss argued that the same principle could potentially be used in reverse if the original speeding penalty is ultimately deemed invalid. Under that interpretation, Russell's drive-through could effectively be converted into a 20-second race-time adjustment, potentially moving him back into the points-paying positions.

Whether the stewards have the regulatory scope to apply such a solution remains unclear, but it is one of the possible avenues Mercedes could pursue in its attempt to recover some of the ground Russell lost in Monaco.

- Oleg Karpov

MAX VERSTAPPEN RECEIVED AN OFFER TO JOIN MERCEDES - RALF SCHUMACHER

Max Verstappen's F1 future is currently unknown, but it appears Mercedes has opened the door for the four-time champion.

ARTICLE
© Red Bull Content Pool

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has claimed Mercedes submitted an offer to Max Verstappen to poach him away from Red Bull.

However, according to Schumacher, the four-time champion turned down the contract due to its financial conditions.

Verstappen has long been linked with a move away from Red Bull and last year, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff publicly voiced his interest in teaming up with the Dutchman.

Verstappen has cast doubt over his F1 future, admitting on several occasions that he's unhappy with the direction of the sport in relation to its technology, regulations and weekend format.

But as the 28-year-old continues to assess his own position in the sport, Schumacher has stated Mercedes has opened the door to him.

“There’s no spot at Ferrari right now,” Schumacher told the Backstage Boxengasse podcast. 

“And at Mercedes, you hear that Wolff has made him an offer behind the scenes.

“But that offer was apparently so bad financially that it’s not an option anyway. 

“That’s apparently what’s going on behind the scenes right now.”

Mercedes has returned to the head of the F1 pecking order this year, winning six out of the opening seven rounds of the campaign.

It is currently enjoying a strong run with second-year driver Kimi Antonelli, who has fired himself into contention for the F1 title.

Schumacher has theorised that Mercedes' alleged low-ball offer to Verstappen was deliberate, as the team recognises it will need to substantially boost Antonelli's figures if he keeps on his current trajectory.

“I believe this is intentional,” he said.

“I’ve said it before: why would Wolff bring in the expensive Max Verstappen alongside Kimi Antonelli - the next superstar if everything goes according to plan?

"Then he’d have two drivers on the team fighting each other. He remembers that well from the days of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, and that’s the last thing you want. 

“Above all, he’d be putting Kimi at risk. So that actually makes no sense at all.”

- RN365

BARCELONA-CATALUNYA GP 2026 | PL PRACTICE 2 -CLASSIFICATION

 

KIMI ANTONELLI WINS THE DRAMATIC 2026 MONACO GRAND PRIX

 

KIMI ANTONELLI TAKES POLE POSITION AT MONACO GRAND PRIX 2026

 

FP3 REPORT: WHAT HAPPENED IN FINAL PRACTICE AT THE MONACO GP

Kimi Antonelli transformed the picture at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix by topping final practice for Mercedes ahead of qualifying, as Ferrari suddenly found themselves chasing rather than leading.

After Ferrari dominated Friday practice, Antonelli delivered the clearest sign yet that Mercedes had found performance overnight. The championship leader set a 1m 12.720s to finish 0.327 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton third, just 0.004 seconds behind his team-mate.

George Russell was fourth in the second Mercedes, while Max Verstappen completed the top five for Red Bull.

The final Formula 1 practice hour suggested qualifying may not be the Ferrari walkover many had expected after Friday. Antonelli looked confident from the moment the soft tyres went on, and his pace was strong enough to leave the rest of the field with serious work to do before the most important qualifying session of the season.

Kimi Antonelli during practice for the 2026 F1 Monaco GP | Mercedes

Antonelli takes control as Ferrari chase answers

Ferrari had looked like the team to beat after finishing one-two in both FP1 and FP2, but FP3 gave Mercedes a major boost.

Antonelli found time early on the soft tyre and then stayed clear of the field, while Leclerc and Hamilton were unable to match his benchmark when the final qualifying simulations began. Traffic played a role, as it always does in Monaco, but the gap to Antonelli was large enough to suggest Mercedes have made genuine progress overnight.

Leclerc still ended the session second, but the Monegasque driver continued to sound uncomfortable over team radio, with the brake issue he revealed on Friday still appearing to be a concern. That could be crucial at Monaco, where confidence under braking is everything.

Hamilton was third and remained close to Leclerc, but neither Ferrari driver could land a response to Antonelli before the late red flag disrupted the final runs.

Bearman crash interrupts final laps

The session was stopped late on after Oliver Bearman crashed his Haas at Massenet. Bearman lost the rear while climbing the hill, shortly after passing Russell, who had moved as far aside as possible to stay out of the way. The Haas driver clipped the barriers and left debris on the track, bringing out the red flag.

“Sorry guys, it’s the ***** bottoming. I’m so sorry,” Bearman said over team radio.

He climbed out of the car unharmed and later returned to the pit lane, but Haas will need to check the car carefully before qualifying, particularly around the rear and gearbox after the impact.

The marshals cleared the car quickly, but barrier checks meant the session resumed with only four minutes remaining. That gave some drivers time for one final run, although out laps were heavily compromised as the field queued up in classic Monaco fashion.

McLaren still searching before qualifying

McLaren still looked short of the very front after a difficult Friday. Oscar Piastri finished sixth, 0.978 seconds off Antonelli, while Lando Norris was ninth after continuing to play catch up following his FP2 stoppage.

McLaren confirmed before the session that it had broken curfew after Norris stopped at the Nouvelle Chicane on Friday. The team replaced the wiring harness and changed the ESME pack within the permitted allocation as part of its investigation into the issue.

Team CEO Zak Brown admitted a second row start might already be an optimistic target, with McLaren still trying to understand its pace before qualifying.

There was also a late traffic moment between Norris and Hamilton, with neither driver sounding impressed over the radio. The incident was not noted by Race Control, but it served as a reminder of how tense qualifying could become when 22 cars fight for space around the narrowest circuit on the calendar.

Nico Hulkenberg during practice for the 2026 F1 Monaco GP | Audi F1 Team

Audi impress again as Cadillac suffer more issues

Audi continued their strong Monaco weekend, with Gabriel Bortoleto seventh and Nico Hulkenberg 10th.

Both Audi cars had finished inside the top 10 in FP1 and FP2, and their FP3 pace suggested the team could be genuine contenders for Q3 if they execute qualifying cleanly.

Isack Hadjar was eighth as he continued to rebuild confidence after his FP1 crash at the Swimming Pool section. Liam Lawson also had another nervous moment at the same part of the track, catching a slide after the rear stepped out.

Cadillac had more brake trouble after Sergio Perez suffered a brake fire in FP2. This time Valtteri Bottas reported smoke and limped back to the pits, avoiding a stoppage but raising fresh concerns for the team.

The final practice message was clear. Ferrari still have pace, Verstappen remains close enough to threaten, and McLaren are not out of the picture. But heading into qualifying, it is Antonelli and Mercedes who suddenly look like the combination to beat.

- John Smith