Mercedes-AMG Motorsports Tales of the paddock

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  • Kimi Antonelli continues his quest for records with a victory in Canada
  • Three questions for Fabian Schiller, winner of the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring
  • 24 Hours of Le Mans: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport takes Silver Arrow design to 2026 edition

Formula 1

Four in a row: Kimi sets another record

The brief break between the fourth and fifth races of the 2026 F1 season didn't disrupt Kimi Antonelli's (ITA) momentum: The 19-year-old also won the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, becoming the first driver in the sport's history to secure his first four career victories in four consecutive Grands Prix. He is also the first Mercedes driver since Lewis Hamilton (GBR) in 2020 to win four races in a row. This also marked the team’s 300th podium finish since Mercedes returned to the sport as a full works team in 2010. However, this is not the only record that the Italian has secured in his young F1 career. At the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, Kimi became the youngest pole-setter at 19 years and six months, beating Sebastian Vettel’s (GER) existing record. The day after securing his maiden pole position, Kimi became the second-youngest Grand Prix winner after Max Verstappen (NED). After the following race in Japan, he became the youngest championship leader in F1 history. He already made history on several occasions in his rookie season. In 2025, aged just 18 years and 203 days, he became the third-youngest driver in the sport's history. He secured his first Sprint pole in Miami, setting a new record across all qualifying formats. In Suzuka, he became the youngest driver to lead a Grand Prix and the youngest to set the fastest lap. After Jackie Stewart (GBR) and Lewis Hamilton, he became the third driver to achieve three consecutive top-six finishes to start his debut season.

New video podcast: Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show
Recorded in the heart of the Brackley factory, the ‘Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show’ offers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. From familiar faces in the cockpit to the experts behind the scenes who rarely appear in public, this video podcast shares the stories and moments that would otherwise go unheard. Kimi Antonelli is famous for his pranks. In the first episode, he reveals how the team got their own back on him during winter testing in Bahrain by secretly replacing his drink with Tabasco sauce. In episode two, Deputy Technical Director Simone Resta discusses what it's like to watch a race from afar rather than at the track. It turns out that anyone who bites their nails during the thrilling moments of the race or counts down the nerve-wracking final laps is in good company!

>> Watch the podcast


GT Sport

GT2 European Series: Eight SRO GT Academy drivers compete at Monza opening weekend

As supporting series of the GT World Challenge Europe, the GT2 European Series kicks off its new season at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza this weekend. For the first time, the series is part of the SRO GT Academy, which supports young talent on their path to a GT3 cockpit. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport is one of the sponsors of this project. Drivers under the age of 30 with FIA Silver status are assessed on criteria such as speed, race craft, and their behaviour both on and off the track. The winner will be competing for a Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Team in the entire 2027 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup season – including the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. At the season opener in Monza, eight drivers are eligible to participate in the SRO GT Academy, including four drivers in a Mercedes-AMG GT2. Adrián Ferrer (ESP) and Branden Oxley (THA) will compete for the NM Racing Team, whilst Jay Mo Härtling and Moritz Wiskirchen (both GER) will line up for SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm.

“Supporting young talent has become a key part of our Customer Racing Programme in recent years. That is why we joined the SRO GT Academy at an early stage. This forward-looking project has created a platform that makes it easier for young drivers to enter the professional GT Sport, whilst also offering them the opportunity to showcase their skills on the international stage. We are therefore all the more delighted that four of the eight Academy drivers have already opted for the Mercedes-AMG GT2. This underlines both the popularity of our car and the relevance of this project for the future of GT Sport.”
Stefan Wendl, Head of Customer Racing, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport

ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring: Three questions for race winner Fabian Schiller
Fabian Schiller (GER), who celebrated his 29th birthday on Sunday, was the youngest AMG driver in the winning quartet of the Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL, alongside Maro Engel (GER), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Luca Stolz (GER), at the 24h Nürburgring. The Troisdorf native, who grew up not far from the Nürburgring, made his debut at the endurance classic in the Eifel region in 2016. Since then, he has been pursuing one major goal: overall victory at the prestigious 24-hour race. In 2022, he already managed to secure a place on the overall podium. Since 2020, Fabian Schiller has been part of the Mercedes-AMG driver line-up. He has competed in more than 210 races worldwide for the Performance and Sports Car Brand from Affalterbach. Following his great triumph at the Nürburgring, he answers our questions in our ‘Three questions for’ section.

How emotional was this victory for you and have you even had a chance to properly take it all in yet?
Fabian Schiller:
“This victory means incredibly lot to me. Back in 2022, I’d already celebrated a second-place finish at the 24h Nürburgring with GetSpeed, alongside Maximilian Götz (GER) and Adam Christodoulou (GBR). After that, I had a really tough time – both at the Nürburgring and at other major 24-hour races like Spa or Daytona. Something always went wrong, whether it was technical or personal. That’s why this success was and still is extremely emotional for me. 2026 was a very special race with 352,000 spectators at the track and an incredible atmosphere. I really enjoyed the victory and the podium ceremony, and in the evening, we also celebrated a bit together. However, things picked up again straight away on Monday: first off to Spa for testing ahead of the next 24-hour race, and straight after that I had an event with my new partner Wempe, who were also partners of the 24h Nürburgring. So, I haven’t really taken it all in or processed it yet. But I’m going to make a point of taking the time to do just that.”

In your view, what were the key factors behind this year’s success?
Fabian Schiller:
“Mercedes-AMG Motorsport und the operational Winward Racing team were competing together for the first time at the 24 Nürburgring. They prepared the project meticulously from the outset in collaboration with RAVENOL and Verstappen Racing. This involved trying out new approaches, which was certainly a key factor in our success. There were also other important aspects. Although we started from 25th on the grid, we were able to work our way up step by step. The key was choosing the right tyres, which caused the leading group to spread out significantly relatively early on, so that we had a comfortable lead with both cars after around eight hours of racing. After that, it was simply a matter of managing the lead and bringing the Mercedes-AMG GT3 to the line safely. It was, of course, also exciting that our sister car from the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing was our biggest rival for a long time. Nevertheless, there was always the necessary mutual respect. After ten years, the main goal for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport clearly was to win this race again. On top of that, there were no clashes with other major racing series. This meant that all manufacturers – including us – were able to field their strongest line-up. We also had a very reliable Mercedes-AMG GT3, which performed superbly in a wide variety of conditions.”

How would you describe the current momentum in GT Sport?
Fabian Schiller:
“GT Sport is booming. And being able to be part of it is something very special. We offer pure racing, the likes of which you might not find in other racing series. On the one hand, this thrills the fans; on the other, it’s now attracting big names too. Drivers such as Valentino Rossi (ITA), Max Verstappen, and Lance Stroll (CAN) – most recently in the GT World Challenge Europe at Paul Ricard – are choosing to race with us. They are, of course, real crowd-pullers. Max Verstappen’s participation in particular has certainly contributed to this year’s popularity surrounding the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring and has also brought additional attention to the GT Sport.”

Fabian Schiller is set to compete in his next race in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at Monza this coming weekend. He is racing for the Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed in this series that includes, among other events, the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps at the end of June. Schiller: “Of course, I’d also like to win the other major endurance classics. To be honest, I don’t really mind the order. Spa is next, and there I’ll once again give it my all to be right at the front – for my team, for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, and also for myself.”

24 Hours of Le Mans: Iron Lynx again fields three Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 cars at the Sarthe classic
From 10–14 June, the world’s most famous endurance event will once again take place at the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans. The Customer Racing Team Iron Lynx will line up with three Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 cars for the 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two cars will feature the same driver line-up as in the FIA World Endurance Championship: Rui Pinto de Andrade (ANG), Martin Berry (AUS), and Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver Maxime Martin will take turns at the wheel of the #61. Matteo Cressoni (ITA), Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver Lin Hodenius (NED), and Johannes Zelger (ITA) make up the squad for the #79. The line-up is completed by a third #62 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 under the name Team Qatar by Iron Lynx, driven by Abdulla Al-Khelaifi (QAT), Giuliano Alesi (FRA), and Julian Hanses (GER). The three entries are competing in the LMGT3 class, which comprises 25 cars. In the second year since returning to Le Mans, the Silver Arrow concept is being retained. As a tribute to legendary racing cars bearing the three-pointed star, the Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 cars feature a uniform silver design but are distinguished by individual colour accents: the rear sections are finished in black (#61), dark red (#62), and yellow (#79).

From the UK to China: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport celebrates podium finishes around the globe
The Affalterbach racing cars were successful at numerous international circuits last weekend: 2 Seas Motorsport secured third place overall in the second race of the British GT Championship at Oulton Park Circuit with Ben Green (GBR) and Kevin Tse (FIA). In the Italian GT Championship, Guy Albag (ISR) took second place for AKM Motorsport in Saturday’s race at Autodromo Vallelunga. At the second race weekend of the GT3 Revival Series at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Philip Kadoorie (FIA) finished third in the Motohistorics SLS AMG GT3 to claim a podium finish. Climax Racing and the UNO Racing Team each claimed a podium finish in the China GT Championship at Ningbo International Circuit. Black Wolf Motorsport celebrated another podium in the Thailand Super Series at Chang International Circuit.

GT Open: Team Motopark takes the championship lead following victory in the GT Open 500
Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver Maximilian Götz and Christian Mansell (AUS) won the 500-kilometre race of the International GT Open in mid-May. At Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, they secured a convincing lights-to-flag victory in the #71 Mercedes-AMG GT3 from Team Motopark. This saw the duo move to the top of the drivers’ standings after the second race weekend. Team Motopark also defended its lead in the team championship.

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