Tag: Kimi Antonelli

Guenther Steiner Says Mercedes Has Clarified George Russell’s Support Role

Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes Mercedes has told George Russell to support Kimi Antonelli’s 2026 championship campaign.

Russell arrived at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as the clear favourite for the 2026 drivers’ title. However, his Mercedes team-mate became the youngest driver to lead the standings after consecutive victories at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix.

During the first half of the season, Russell won two Grands Prix while Antonelli claimed six victories. The Italian currently leads the championship with 242 points, while Russell sits second on 183 points, level with Lewis Hamilton.

Mercedes team orders raise questions over Russell and Antonelli

Russell was asked to let Antonelli past during the Dutch Grand Prix, reigniting questions about Mercedes’ internal dynamics. Team principal Toto Wolff said the instruction was not related to the championship.

Russell briefly questioned the order over team radio before allowing his team-mate through. He finished third behind race winner Lando Norris and Antonelli, later telling the media that the decision was correct because Antonelli would probably have overtaken him anyway on fresher tyres.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner suggested that Mercedes must have held a clear discussion during the summer break to define its new rules of engagement. The team and its drivers have not confirmed that such a conversation took place.

“I wouldn’t say they told him, ‘You’re the number two driver.’ They told him, ‘You are now here to support Kimi.’ I wouldn’t call him the number two driver, but, ‘If needed, you need to support Kimi to win the world championship. This is your mission for this season.’ No, I think that happened,” Steiner explained.

Steiner argued that supporting Antonelli would be necessary if Mercedes wants to secure the drivers’ championship, warning that failing to establish clear priorities could leave the team vulnerable late in the season.

“If you want to win, this is what you have to do. Otherwise, you take the risk as McLaren did last year, then get down to the last race to lose that world championship, not to win it, to lose it.”

08/29/2026
Mercedes puzzled by why it was “rubbish” through high-speed corners at Dutch GP

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin described the team’s performance through Zandvoort’s high-speed corners as “rubbish” as Mercedes investigates its inconsistent pace during the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.

Mercedes made a strong start to the Zandvoort weekend, with George Russell taking pole position and winning the sprint race. However, the team fell behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, who secured pole and victory in the Dutch Grand Prix.

Mercedes still finished second and third in qualifying and the race. Kimi Antonelli finished ahead of team-mate Russell to extend his championship lead to 59 points, but Mercedes was unable to explain why its early pace failed to carry through the rest of the weekend against its main rival.

“We’ve got a few things on the performance side to try and dig into,” Shovlin said on Mercedes’ Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show. “We’re going to be getting on with that this week and see what we learn.

“But there were a few corners where we were pretty rubbish, like that combination of [Turns] 7, 8, 9. You could see [it in] the faster-speed [curves]. And it also gives the tyres on the left-hand side of the car a tough time. And we don’t really understand yet fully what’s causing that.

“We’ve got some ideas, but that’s not a problem that we’ve suffered with so far this year. And there’s plenty of circuits that have got kind of continued corners in one direction.

“We were a bit off the pace in the fastest of those [turns]. And then our problems kind of grew a bit as we went through. All the other corners look solid.”

Mercedes struggled to explain differing tyre performance

Mercedes’ confusion was compounded by the limited changes made to the cars between the sprint race and the grand prix, as well as during the race itself. Shovlin acknowledged that pace can vary depending on tyre compound and tyre life, but both drivers experienced problems at different stages of the race.

“We didn’t change the car. We obviously had different compounds at different stages. But again, we need to understand a bit,” he said.

“George’s first stint was a bit lacklustre compared to his later ones. And then with Kimi, first stint was good, and then dropped a bit on the second, dropped a bit more on the third, a bit came back on the third. It wasn’t like we were playing around with electronic settings or up and down on flap angles. And for him, the balance of the car was quite different stint on stint.

“The two drivers, normally they report similar things with a car at the end of the race. Both of them, their perception of the balance, and probably the reality is George had a more understeery car, Kimi had a more oversteery car. If we look at how they were set up, we don’t yet know quite why we got such a big difference.

“So, though, really good to have a strong point-scoring weekend when we weren’t at our best in terms of performance. It was actually good fun, sat on the pitwall and having to make decisions in a hurry. I think the whole team enjoyed that and rose to the occasion. And it was definitely a good result, given where we were.

“But yeah, a bit of head-scratching to do over the next few days.”

Mercedes records second-highest points haul of the season

Despite its lack of clarity over the pace loss, Mercedes scored 46 points at Zandvoort, its second-highest team total of the season. Only its 55-point haul at the Chinese Grand Prix was higher, although both events were sprint weekends with more points available.

08/29/2026
Kimi Antonelli Reveals Special Mercedes Gesture After Maiden F1 Victory

Kimi Antonelli Keeps Original Trophy From Maiden F1 Victory

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has revealed that the team allowed him to keep the original trophy from his first Formula 1 victory.

Speaking to GQ Magazine for a feature titled 10 Things F1 Driver Kimi Antonelli Can’t Live Without, the Italian showed the trophy he received on the podium after his breakthrough victory at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.

Mercedes Made an Exception for Antonelli’s First Win

Formula 1 teams typically retain the original trophies won by their drivers, displaying them at the factory while giving the drivers high-quality replicas. However, Mercedes made an exception for Antonelli to commemorate his first career victory.

“This is the trophy of my first victory in China, and this is a moment I’ll never forget,” Antonelli explained.

“The first victory is always incredible. It has an enormous meaning, and it also marks my first win in the top division. This trophy is the original, the one I lifted on the podium.

“Usually, the originals go to the teams, while we keep the replicas. However, since it was my first win, the team let me have it, especially since you only get one first time. This, obviously, was placed in my trophy case.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes. Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Antonelli started the Chinese Grand Prix from pole position and said he recognised his opportunity to claim a strong result as the race approached its conclusion.

“Starting from pole position, I knew I had a good chance of being able to get a good result. Obviously, I knew it would be very difficult, but when there were about fifteen laps to go, I knew I was close to the finish line and that I could do it.

“It took a long time to realise in that moment what had happened. But it was a truly indescribable moment.”

Antonelli Leads the 2026 F1 Drivers’ Championship

Antonelli went on to secure five more Grand Prix victories during the first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season. He currently leads the drivers’ championship by 59 points over George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who are level on points.

08/28/2026
Kimi Antonelli Causes Chaos on Amelia Dimoldenberg’s “Passenger Princess”

Mercedes Formula 1 driver and championship leader Kimi Antonelli has appeared as a driving instructor in Amelia Dimoldenberg’s YouTube series, Passenger Princess.

Produced in collaboration with F1 as part of the championship’s effort to attract a younger and more diverse audience, the second season sees current drivers teach the British presenter how to drive.

Kimi Antonelli brings chaos to Passenger Princess

Antonelli’s episode quickly descended into chaos when he rapidly steered from side to side to warm up the tyres. Dimoldenberg jokingly exclaimed, “Stop it. Stop, Kimi. This is not acceptable. I knew you were young, but I didn’t know you would be this immature.”

The 20-year-old Mercedes driver then attempted doughnuts in an SUV. “Wait, can we just stop for a second because I feel really dizzy now,” Dimoldenberg said.

“That was not a doughnut,” Antonelli admitted. “You would slide a lot more.”

When the roles were reversed and Dimoldenberg took the wheel, Antonelli’s coaching skills were put to the test. The comedian was also asked to perform a doughnut, but the attempt came close to ending in the gravel.

“So, this is actually my last lesson. So, actually I should at this point be pretty good at driving. Which is why I wanted to do the doughnuts because I feel like doughnuts is when you’re a pro, and you can just do what you want,” Dimoldenberg said before Antonelli gave her driving attempt a score of 5.5 out of 10.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

Antonelli discusses life away from Formula 1

During the deadpan comedic exchanges, the Italian driver discussed what he eats on a cheat day, how he began go-karting at the age of five, his pre-race ritual and how he spends his time off.

At the time of writing, the video had been viewed more than one million times and received over 31,000 likes.

“Kimi HAS to be the first driver to ragebait Amelia,” one fan commented, while another added: “He got the sassiness of George and sarcasm of Max, truly their son.”

Someone else posted: “It’s giving oldest sister youngest siblings vibe,” while another fan wrote: “Kimi’s sarcastic blinks are next level!”

08/28/2026
Mercedes on Dutch GP team orders: We would’ve done the exact same thing the other way around

Mercedes has reviewed its Dutch Grand Prix team orders and remains convinced that asking Kimi Antonelli to pass George Russell late in the Formula 1 race secured a double podium. The team also says it would have made the same decision if the drivers had been in the opposite positions.

Why Mercedes swapped Antonelli and Russell

Esteban Ocon triggered a virtual safety car on lap 55 at Zandvoort, with Antonelli running second and Russell fourth, separated by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Both Ferraris pitted immediately, while Antonelli stopped one lap later. The strategy promoted Russell to second, ahead of the three cars that had pitted.

Running on fresher soft tyres, Antonelli quickly closed on Russell and Mercedes instructed Russell to let his team-mate through. Although Russell initially questioned the call, he complied and spent the remainder of the race defending third place from both Ferraris.

Antonelli could not catch race winner Lando Norris and finished second. Russell, helped by another late virtual safety car, held off the Ferraris to complete Mercedes’ double podium.

After Mercedes’ post-race debrief on Monday, deputy team principal Bradley Lord explained why the team had reviewed the decision and remained satisfied with its reasoning.

“It seemed good, to be honest,” Lord said on Mercedes’ Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show. “One of the funny consequences of that early red flag was actually we were all sort of hot-footing out of Zandvoort and we actually only had the debrief on Monday after the race rather than Sunday in the immediate aftermath, because things were delayed and then everyone was heading out and both the drivers were in the press conference and have all of their stuff to complete as well.

“George quite naturally asked the question, just stress-tested it when he first got the communication. But then understood that bigger picture that with Kimi we’d taken the chance of a free stop behind the VSC.

“If George had made the same stop, he’d have dropped behind one of the Ferraris and given up that podium position regardless. And then really it comes back to what have you talked about beforehand and how clear is how the team’s going to operate.

“And we’d been really clear in that Sunday morning strategy meeting that it is too close for us to be able to lose any time at all with our two drivers fighting each other and costing each other time.

“So that had set the basis then for the decision. And I think it’s fair to say that had that been the other way around, we’d have done exactly the same thing in order to give ourselves the best chance of the P2 finish and to give the car in third, again, the clear air and the best chance of holding position as well.”

Mercedes rejected tow strategy for Russell

Mercedes also considered giving Russell a tow and Overtake Mode, which serves a similar purpose to the previous-generation DRS system. However, the team decided against the tactic because the expected benefit was small and the risk of it backfiring was significant.

“We had the conversation and there was a bit of a debate,” Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes trackside engineering director, explained. “In the end, we decided that it’s not a massive gain in terms of lap time there.

“It’s two tenths. And it’s fair to say that those two tenths is on the straight. So that’s probably the place that you’re going to be vulnerable.

“There was also some concern of just the cars getting tangled up if we’re trying to do something clever that we’ve not rehearsed. But given that it isn’t an enormous chunk of lap time and speed at that circuit, we felt actually it would be better to give George the clear air [and] Kimi just gets out the way.

“That’s probably George’s best chance of getting a good exit and a good braking, because ultimately you can’t follow with these cars at two tenths. So the way that a Ferrari would have got past him would have been if it made a lot of ground coming out of the final corner or went very, very deep on the brakes.”

Shovlin praises Russell’s defence

Shovlin praised Russell for defending through the closing laps to secure Mercedes’ double podium. The result also moved Russell to second in the drivers’ championship, level on points with Hamilton but ahead on wins countback.

“It’s honestly a really impressive effort by George. You wouldn’t have given him maybe even 50-50 odds of holding both of them back. There’s a good chance that one of them was going to get through,” Shovlin said.

“Maybe we’re a bit lucky with that VSC that just took the heat out of it for a lap or two and he was able to manage his energy levels.”

08/28/2026
George Russell Describes “tough” Battle to Keep Lewis Hamilton Off the Dutch GP Podium

George Russell has revealed the defensive tactics he used to hold off a late challenge from Lewis Hamilton for the final podium place at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver started the Zandvoort race from second on the grid, but was overtaken by team-mate Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap. Russell moved back ahead after the pit stops, although Antonelli was running an alternative strategy with a tyre advantage.

Mercedes subsequently instructed Russell to move aside in the closing stages, allowing the championship leader to reclaim second place. That left Russell defending from Hamilton, who was charging through the field while leading both Ferrari drivers late in the race.

“It was tough,” Russell said after the race when asked how he kept the seven-time champion at bay.

“I think Kimi’s and my race was kind of the opposite. I had a tough medium stint, he had a very strong medium stint, then I had a strong hard stint, he was struggling. But that VSC gave Lewis the free pitstop, and obviously Kimi pitted as well.

“From there on in, I knew I was going to be under threat, but I was managing enough in the high-speed corners to allow me to be fast in sector three and defending into Turn 1. So, I was pleased with that performance.”

George Russell finished third behind Kimi Antonelli. Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Russell expects Mercedes challenge at Monza

Russell acknowledged that Mercedes had endured a “challenging couple of weekends” after McLaren won in Hungary and then triumphed again at Zandvoort following the summer break.

Mercedes remains ahead in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, but McLaren has continued to improve through successive upgrades. Ferrari is also expected to introduce a new engine at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, meaning Mercedes cannot afford to become complacent.

“I think these coming two or three race weekends will be a challenge for us both [Antonelli and him], purely because we’re out of sync with the upgrades,” Russell added.

“I think we will be slightly more competitive [at Monza]. However, I believe Ferrari have an engine upgrade incoming, and the truth is we just don’t know. But I do believe that these high-degradation circuits [like Zandvoort] really suit McLaren very well, and especially Lando. He’s always been a bit of a specialist in those conditions. We also saw it last year. Monza may be slightly different, but I think they are the team to beat right now.”

Russell is currently second in the drivers’ standings, level with Hamilton on 183 points. Both Mercedes drivers are 59 points behind championship leader Antonelli.

08/27/2026
George Russell Outlines “tough” Battle to Keep Lewis Hamilton Off the Dutch GP Podium

George Russell has revealed how he defended his podium position from a late attack by Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton at Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix.

Russell explains how he held off Hamilton

Russell qualified second for the race at Zandvoort but was overtaken by Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap. The Mercedes driver moved back ahead of his young team-mate after the pit stops, although Antonelli was running an alternate strategy with a tyre offset.

Mercedes subsequently asked Russell to give up second place in the closing stages so Antonelli could reclaim the position. That left Russell defending from Hamilton, who was charging through the field and had already passed both Ferrari drivers late in the race.

“It was tough,” Russell said after the race when asked how he kept the seven-time champion at bay.

“I think Kimi’s and my race was kind of the opposite. I had a tough medium stint, he had a very strong medium stint, then I had a strong hard stint, he was struggling. But that VSC gave Lewis the free pitstop, and obviously Kimi pitted as well.

“From there on in, I knew I was going to be under threat, but I was managing enough in the high-speed corners to allow me to be fast in sector three and defending into Turn 1. So, I was pleased with that performance.”

George Russell finished third behind Kimi Antonelli. Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Mercedes faces growing McLaren and Ferrari threat

Russell acknowledged that the podium capped a “challenging couple of weekends” for Mercedes after McLaren won in Hungary and again at Zandvoort following the summer break.

Mercedes continues to lead both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, but McLaren has been improving steadily through successive upgrades. Ferrari is also expected to introduce a new engine at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, leaving Mercedes with little room for complacency.

“I think these coming two or three race weekends will be a challenge for us both [Antonelli and him], purely because we’re out of sync with the upgrades,” Russell added.

“I think we will be slightly more competitive [at Monza]. However, I believe Ferrari have an engine upgrade incoming, and the truth is we just don’t know. But I do believe that these high-degradation circuits [like Zandvoort] really suit McLaren very well, and especially Lando. He’s always been a bit of a specialist in those conditions. We also saw it last year. Monza may be slightly different, but I think they are the team to beat right now.”

Russell is currently second in the drivers’ standings on 183 points, level with Hamilton. Both Mercedes drivers are 59 points behind championship leader Antonelli.

08/27/2026
Toto Wolff Explains Decision Behind Kimi Antonelli’s Monza Engine Penalty

During the race weekend at Zandvoort, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff confirmed that Kimi Antonelli is set to serve a grid penalty at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The penalty is the result of a planned power unit change.

While the legendary Monza circuit is Antonelli’s home event, the Mercedes team believes that taking the tactical hit now is the most logical choice. Making the change in Italy helps the team avoid potential technical failures later in the season, similar to the mechanical issue that forced Antonelli to retire early in Barcelona.

Regarding the strategic decision, Wolff explained, “With Kimi, we’re taking the full thing. Our calculations say that that’s the best track to take it,” before adding, “Obviously, algorithms don’t take their nationality into consideration. We’re here to fight for a championship and not get the most PR. So yeah, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Reliability Concerns and Potential Penalty for George Russell

Monza’s famous “Temple of Speed” features long straights that heavily favor the Mercedes power unit. Additionally, the circuit offers numerous overtaking opportunities, making it an ideal venue to minimize the impact of a grid drop. Under current sporting regulations, drivers face grid penalties at the first event where any additional power unit components beyond their seasonal allocation are introduced. Mercedes has faced multiple reliability concerns this season, which also affected Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, during the race weekends in Canada and Belgium.

The team is currently evaluating whether Russell will also need to take a strategic engine penalty. “With George, the discussions are ongoing, if we were to take it,” Wolff continued.

Monza: A Track Ripe for Comebacks

Historically, Monza has been a circuit where drivers can successfully fight their way forward, often yielding highly unpredictable results. In 2020, Pierre Gasly claimed a shocking victory after starting 10th on the grid. The following year, Daniel Ricciardo led McLaren to a spectacular win despite driving what was only the fourth-quickest car on the grid at the time.

Grid penalties have not prevented strong finishes at the track in more recent years either. Last season, Isack Hadjar overcame a pit lane start to secure a P10 finish for Racing Bulls after taking on new power unit components. In 2022, Max Verstappen won the Grand Prix from a five-place grid penalty, while Lewis Hamilton sliced through the field from the very back to finish fifth.

These past performances illustrate why Mercedes selected Monza for the tactical shift, despite it being Antonelli’s home race. For fans, Antonelli’s recovery drive could provide a thrilling spectacle as the young driver fights his way through the field.

Antonelli heads into the Italian Grand Prix weekend in a commanding position, having further extended his championship lead with a second-place finish at Zandvoort. After 12 rounds, he sits 59 points clear of both his teammate and Hamilton.

08/26/2026
Mercedes Seeking Answers After Kimi Antonelli’s Pace Faded in F1 Dutch Grand Prix

Mercedes has launched a “deep dive” into Kimi Antonelli’s performance at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix after the championship leader reported a “difficult second half” of the race while struggling with the balance of his W17.

Antonelli made a strong start at Zandvoort. After qualifying third, he overtook Mercedes team-mate George Russell off the line to take second place before the end of the opening lap. However, the championship leader encountered increasing problems with the car after each tyre change.

“It was really weird because I felt good with the medium. I felt decent on the first hard, but then on the second one it just felt really odd,” Antonelli explained after finishing runner-up to McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Mercedes is now investigating the issues Antonelli faced to understand what went wrong before the next round of the Formula 1 season in Italy.

“Each tyre had a bit more oversteer than the tyre before it and we’re trying to understand why that was,” explained Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin in the team’s Dutch GP debrief video.

“Now, we didn’t change the car, we didn’t add any aero balance, which is the sort of thing that could have explained it. So, we’re having a real deep dive into the data and try and get to the bottom of that because it’s important to solve those sort of things ahead of the next race.

“It’s obviously getting really tight now in terms of performance. We’re still waiting for our major update to land and that will help but in the meantime, it is going to be a bit of a fight.”

The championship leader settled for second in the Netherlands

Antonelli said the problem left him with “little confidence in the car” during the closing stages, when he was defending against Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc while also closing on Russell.

Because Antonelli and Russell were using offset strategies, Russell allowed his younger team-mate through. The move helped Antonelli secure second place and extend his championship lead.

“George, you know, I have to thank him because he made my life a lot easier,” Antonelli explained. “But I still think probably could have stayed out and gone until the end with the same set because it put us a little bit at risk. Also, I feel we put George at risk with having to let me by and everything.

“But I still think, at the end of the day, it was a great team execution with how things were, and I think today P2 was the maximum we could have done because the pace of the McLarens, especially in the second half, was just too strong.”

Mercedes will hope to identify the cause of Antonelli’s handling problems before his home race in Italy. The team has already confirmed that he will take an engine penalty at the event because of reliability issues earlier in the season.

08/26/2026
“Drive to Survive” Season 9: The Biggest F1 Stories Netflix Could Cover
Netflix Confirms Drive to Survive Season 9 for 2026 F1 Championship

Netflix has officially greenlit a ninth season of its hit Formula 1 docuseries Drive to Survive. The new instalment will chronicle the unfolding 2026 championship, a campaign already shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory. While episode details remain under wraps, the first half of the season has delivered a wealth of compelling narratives poised to fill the expected ten-episode run.

Kimi Antonelli’s Meteoric Rise Shakes Up the Title Fight

The standout storyline of 2026 so far is the astonishing ascent of Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. In only his second season in Formula 1, the Italian became the youngest driver ever to lead the World Championship standings after securing back-to-back victories at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix. His surge in performance blindsided a paddock largely focused on his more experienced team-mate, George Russell.

Antonelli has since amassed six Grand Prix wins in the opening half of the campaign, establishing a commanding 59-point lead over Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who are currently level on points in second and third respectively.

George Russell’s Trial by Fire at Mercedes

Russell entered 2026 as a clear title favourite, winning the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese sprint race. However, his championship challenge unravelled dramatically. As Antonelli strung together five consecutive wins, Russell endured a catalogue of misfortune: car failures in China and Canada, an ill-timed safety car that ruined his strategy in Japan, and multiple pit-lane speeding penalties in Monaco.

Though the Briton has since recovered to remain in mathematical contention, the intra-team dynamic at Mercedes—specifically the contrast between Russell’s frustration and Antonelli’s seamless adaptation—offers ripe material for the series’ signature tension.

New Technical Regulations Take Centre Stage

The 2026 rule overhaul—introducing smaller, lighter cars, active aerodynamics, and power units with a near 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power—is certain to feature prominently. The changes drew sharp criticism from several drivers and fans, criticism that intensified following Oliver Bearman’s 50G crash at the Japanese Grand Prix. The incident prompted the FIA to mandate further safety revisions for 2027, a reactive development that underscores the turbulence of the regulation transition.

Aston Martin and Williams: High Hopes, Hard Reality

Two of the sport’s historic names have endured nightmare starts to the new era.

Aston Martin arrived at pre-season testing carrying immense expectation: the first year of a Honda power-unit partnership and the first car designed under technical legend Adrian Newey. Instead, the Silverstone squad grappled with fundamental chassis and power-unit deficits, delaying their B-spec upgrade until the Hungarian Grand Prix. The team currently languishes 10th in the Constructors’ Championship.

Williams entered 2026 on a wave of optimism built throughout 2025, only to arrive at testing with an overweight car after missing a crucial private test in Barcelona. The unexpected five-week spring break—caused by the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix—allowed the Grove outfit to shed weight, yet performance remains elusive. The team is targeting a recovery with upgrades slated for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Renaissance

After a difficult maiden season with the Scuderia in 2025, Lewis Hamilton has found his footing in 2026. The revised regulations appear to suit his driving style more favourably than the previous ground-effect generation, and a mental reset over the winter break has visibly sharpened his form.

Hamilton claimed his first Ferrari podium with third place in China, followed by runner-up finishes in Canada and Monaco. The breakthrough arrived at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where he secured his inaugural Grand Prix victory for Maranello. The seven-time champion now sits third in the drivers’ standings, level on points with Russell and 59 adrift of Antonelli.

A “Not-So-Silly” Silly Season Settles Early

Despite a frenzy of summer-break rumours, the 2027 driver market has largely stabilised:
- Max Verstappen quashed speculation linking him to Mercedes, McLaren, or retirement by signing a Red Bull extension through 2030.
- Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon both committed long-term futures to Williams, silencing doubts sparked by the team’s struggles.
- Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin future remains uncertain, with retirement or a surprise move to Alpine both plausible.
- Esteban Ocon faces intense scrutiny at Haas after being consistently outperformed by team-mate Oliver Bearman across 2025 and 2026, casting doubt on his 2027 retention.
New Entrants Cadillac and Audi Write Their Origin Stories

The grid expanded to eleven teams in 2026, adding fresh narrative threads.

Cadillac debuted with a veteran line-up of Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas. Despite zero points and reliability woes, the American operation has earned paddock respect for its structural solidity.

Audi, having completed its full takeover of Sauber, sits a respectable eighth in the Constructors’ table. However, the German manufacturer’s campaign was jolted in March by the abrupt departure of team principal Jonathan Wheatley—a corporate shake-up tailor-made for documentary treatment.

McLaren’s Resurgence Reignites Title Hopes

Reigning champions McLaren started 2026 on the back foot, the regulation shift dropping them behind Mercedes and Ferrari. Yet a potent upgrade package sparked a dramatic turnaround: Lando Norris captured back-to-back victories at the Hungarian and Dutch Grands Prix, catapulting the 2025 champion back into title contention and ensuring the Woking squad’s storyline remains very much alive.

With the championship barely past its midpoint, Drive to Survive Season 9 has no shortage of high-stakes drama to document—from generational talent clashes and regulatory growing pains to corporate upheaval and redemption arcs. The cameras are rolling.
08/25/2026