Emerging from a demanding period marked by the ground effect regulations, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team approaches the 2026 season with renewed optimism. Having secured second place in the constructors’ championship last year, the team aims to build on that success and reclaim its dominant position on the track.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
The 2025 season marked a significant transition for the Brackley-based squad, as it was their first year without their long-serving driver, Lewis Hamilton, who had been with the team for twelve years. Despite this major change, Mercedes experienced a year filled with podium finishes, significant challenges, and crucial adjustments to the team’s internal dynamics. A standout moment was the Mercedes double podium at the Canadian Grand Prix, where George Russell secured a victory (P1) and Kimi Antonelli finished P3.
While the immediate focus was on the 2025 campaign, the team also had an eye firmly on 2026 and the impending new regulations. With both Kimi Antonelli’s and George Russell’s contracts concluding by the end of 2025, Team Principal Toto Wolff and the management faced considerable pressure to finalize their driver lineup for the upcoming season. Intense speculation and questions arose regarding who would pilot the Silver Arrows in 2026. Many theorized that four-time World Champion Max Verstappen might join one of the existing Mercedes drivers. However, these rumors were finally dispelled ahead of the US Grand Prix when Mercedes officially announced they would be retaining both Russell and Antonelli.
Entering the 2026 season, Mercedes maintains an unchanged core driver lineup, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli behind the wheel. The only notable alteration is the promotion of Fred Vesti to the role of third driver, succeeding Valtteri Bottas, who made a full-time return to the grid with Cadillac. With a robust team and a reliably performing car, the Brackley outfit is widely considered a strong contender for the constructors’ championship this season.
George Russell
Russell embarks on his eighth year in Formula 1, following an impressive 2025 season where he finished fourth in the championship standings.
Throughout his previous campaign, Russell consistently demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the most reliable drivers on the grid. The Briton nearly completed every lap of the season, missing out by only two laps after being overtaken by the leaders in Monaco.
Despite the temperamental W16 car, the Mercedes driver managed to accumulate 319 points in the championship. This tally included two victories, nine podium finishes, and consistent top-10 performances, with his lowest finish of the season being P11 in Monaco. Russell remained a mathematical contender for the championship title until the final few races.
Since Lewis Hamilton’s departure, the 28-year-old has firmly established himself as the undisputed leader at Mercedes, embracing the primary driver role. His strong performances both on and off the track throughout the season have unequivocally proven Russell’s merit as the team’s number one driver, resulting in him securing a multi-year contract extension.
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, George Russell is a popular favorite among many fans to claim the championship. This expectation stems not only from the strong car Mercedes has developed but also from the exceptional consistency, continuous improvement, and raw skill he has showcased throughout his racing career.
Kimi Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli, promoted from the team’s driver academy for 2025, enters his second year in Formula 1 with significant attention on the young Italian.
The rookie proved himself more than capable of handling the demands of the W16, starting the season strongly with a fourth-place finish in Australia. The Italian made history by becoming the youngest pole-sitter in any format after qualifying for the Miami sprint race, which he ultimately finished seventh following a poor start.
Nonetheless, his inaugural season was not without its difficulties. The immense pressure inevitably affected the young rookie, leading to a challenging mid-season period before the summer break. With several retirements (DNFs) and even a collision with Max Verstappen during the Austrian Grand Prix, his confidence took a hit. However, the team rallied around him, and with unwavering support from his race engineer Bono and the wider team, he gradually regained his composure and belief.
The second half of the season saw the #12 driver stage an impressive comeback. Determined to prove his worth, he achieved consecutive podium finishes, including a sprint race P3 and a Grand Prix P2 in Brazil, followed by a P3 in Las Vegas.
Kimi concluded his first year in F1 with 150 points, securing seventh place in the championship standings. He was the highest point-scoring rookie of the year, missing out on sixth place by a mere six points.
If pre-season testing provides any indication, Kimi Antonelli is set to continue his strong trajectory from last season. Although it is only his second campaign, he appears ready to challenge the more seasoned drivers on the grid.
Testing
The 2026 season ushers in significant new regulations affecting engine, chassis, and aerodynamic designs. The winter break was shorter than usual, with each team allocated nine days of pre-season testing. This intensive period allowed teams to gather crucial data and assess the integrated performance of their new systems.
Overall, Mercedes had a robust start to the season, logging the most mileage across the testing sessions. As an engine supplier for three other teams, they also collected a wealth of data concerning their new power unit.
Barcelona Shakedown
The Barcelona Shakedown occurred during the final week of January. Teams had the flexibility to choose three out of five available days during that week to run their new cars on track. This presented a vital opportunity to push the car to its limits and evaluate the integrity and performance of the new components.
Kimi Antonelli and George Russell took to the track on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Collectively, they completed just over 2325km, marking the highest total mileage achieved by any team. The Italian driver completed 237 laps over the three days, while the Briton logged 265 laps and recorded the second-fastest unofficial time of the Shakedown.
While the team encountered a few minor issues in Barcelona, both the drivers and the wider team expressed satisfaction with the week’s results and the W17’s impressive reliability.
Bahrain Testing 1
According to the team, the Shakedown primarily focused on proving the W17’s conceptual design and accumulating mileage. The subsequent Bahrain testing weeks, however, were dedicated to extensive setup exploration.
Some teams opted for a single driver per day. In contrast, the Silver Arrows’ drivers split each testing day, alternating between sessions. The initial three days of testing in Bahrain did not proceed as smoothly as the team had hoped, with Kimi Antonelli experiencing interrupted sessions on days one and two.
After grappling with reliability challenges during the first two days, the team enjoyed a seamless day on day three. The focus for the final day shifted to qualifying and single-lap simulations, alongside long-run race simulations. Both drivers achieved uninterrupted mileage and consistently topped the timesheets throughout the day. Despite not being entirely satisfied with their overall position after testing, the team gained valuable insights, concluding the first week with the fastest time of all three days, set by Antonelli.
Bahrain Testing 2
With the demanding three days in Bahrain behind them, the second test saw the team introduce new updates. Mercedes continued to set the pace, with George Russell topping the overall timesheet for the day. Kimi Antonelli recorded another fastest lap during a trouble-free second day, which was dedicated to evaluating the new updates and single-lap speed. The final day of testing involved a Power Unit change after Kimi’s morning session was cut short due to a loss of power. The power unit was replaced promptly for the afternoon session, allowing George Russell to gain more track time with the W17.
While the car’s performance and reliability on track spoke for themselves, the team found itself at the center of a controversy. The impressive reliability and performance observed during testing led competitors to question the compliance of the Mercedes power unit, particularly concerning the compression ratio. Rivals alleged that the Brackley-based team was operating their engine at an 18:1 compression ratio when hot, while still matching the required 16:1 compression ratio at ambient temperatures. This issue was further discussed and put to a vote, resulting in a regulation amendment effective from June 1, 2026. The change dictates that the compression ratio will now be measured in both hot and ambient conditions, rather than solely ambient conditions as previously specified.
Will 2026 Mark the Return of Mercedes Dominance?
New regulations inherently introduce a level of uncertainty and excitement into Formula 1. Mercedes famously secured eight consecutive constructors’ championships between 2014 and 2021. However, the subsequent ground effect era proved less successful for them. Currently, the W17 has only been run on two distinct circuits. It remains to be seen how this year’s challenger will perform on other tracks, including the new Madring circuit in Madrid.
With pre-season testing now concluded and the season opener less than a week away, the W17 is certainly a car to watch closely. While the full outcome of the season is yet to unfold, if testing results are any indication, we are in for a thrilling title fight this year, and Mercedes will undoubtedly be a central part of it.
