Tales from the paddock

• Kimi Antonelli on his teammate: "This is what I find really cool about George."
• Numerous victories and title wins for Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing teams
• Mercedes-AMG Motorsport joins the newly established SRO GT Academy

Formula 1

Kimi Antonelli visits the Brackley factory and takes questions from team members
Ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team confirmed its driver line-up beyond the current season, with Kimi Antonelli (ITA) joining George Russell (GBR). While George heads into his eighth Formula One season and fifth with the team, 2026 will mark Kimi's second year in the top tier of motorsport. Before the season's final stretch, the 19-year-old Italian took the opportunity to visit the Brackley factory, meet with team members and answer their questions - including those about his teammate.

"I like how he's in control, especially in qualifying. It looks like he might be having a bad run, but he's always able to turn it around somehow. This is what I find really cool about George."
Kimi Antonelli, Driver, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team

A summary of Kimi's key remarks - including how valuable Valtteri Bottas' experience has been to him, what it's like working with his race engineer Bono, and how he's approaching the remainder of the season - can be found here. >> Interview Kimi Antonelli

F1 Comeback in Style: Valtteri Bottas thrills South Korea
Valtteri Bottas (FIN) and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team delighted around 25,000 motorsport fans at the AMG Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do Province, in mid-October. The Finn completed several laps of the 4.5-kilometre circuit in the 2022 F1 W13 before rounding off the day with a spectacular display of donuts. Fans were also able to relive Valtteri's show run in team simulators and get a close look at exclusive Mercedes F1 memorabilia such as helmets, race suits and more.

New sustainability milestone for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
As the 2025 Formula One season enters its final phase, the team has put its motorhome and trucks into winter storage - but not before setting another milestone. During the European rounds, the team achieved 99% coverage using the sustainable biofuel HVO100 across its race and marketing logistics fleet. Since the start of its HVO100 project, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team has avoided over 1,190 tonnes of CO₂e emissions in Europe. The team's long-term objective is to explore the use of HVO100 beyond Europe and expand the Mercedes-Benz eTruck fleet for future European seasons, further strengthening Formula One's role as the world's fastest test laboratory. >> More figures, facts & data

GT Sport

Successful season finale across multiple championships for Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing

International GT Open: The season finale of the eight-race European championship took place last Sunday at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Levente Révész (HUN), just 20 years old, was crowned champion in his debut season in GT3 racing. He competed for Team Motopark, for whom it was also their first title in the International GT Open. In the final, Révész shared the cockpit of the #11 Mercedes-AMG GT3 with performance driver Maximilian Götz (GER). The duo started from pole position and crossed the finish line in second place after 87 laps. After a 5-second time penalty for an offence during the pit stop, the two were classified in third place. However, Révész's title win was not in jeopardy. The young Hungarian impressed throughout the season with consistently strong performances and celebrated four season victories - at the season opener in Portimão, at Spa-Francorchamps, Paul Ricard and at the penultimate race in Barcelona. Révész also put in a strong performance with his team-mate Philip Ellis (SUI) at his home track, the Hungaroring in Budapest, finishing third and sixth. Another podium finish followed at the Hockenheimring.

In addition to the drivers' title in the overall standings, the Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Teams celebrated further successes: Team SPS automotive performance secured the Pro-AM title with Dominik Baumann (AUT) and Valentin Pierburg (GER). With two wins, five second places and two third places, they crowned a strong and consistent season performance. Anthony Bartone (USA) and Mercedes-AMG Performance driver Fabian Schiller (GER) from Team GetSpeed secured additional podium places, achieving three more top-three finishes in the highly competitive Pro category.

Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy (STT): Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Teams celebrated a title win and two class victories at the STT season finale at the Nürburgring. Kenneth Heyer (GER) from Team équipe vitesse secured the overall title in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #99, while Jay-Mo Härtling and Michael Sander (both GER) from Team SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm celebrated two race victories in Division I. In Division II, the Mercedes-AMG GT4 impressed with a class victory by Tim Neuser and Wilhelm Kühne (both GER), also for SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm. With a 19-point lead going into the final race of the season, Kenneth Heyer's only goal was to secure his first championship in the Special Touring Car Trophy. The 45-year-old avoided any risks, driving for points rather than victory. Overall, he can look back on a strong season: six wins, five second places and one third place.

GT World Challenge Asia: At the season finale of the GT World Challenge Asia on the 4.9-kilometre Beijing Street Circuit - a combination of public roads and motorway sections - the Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Teams achieved three class victories and two further podium places. Unpredictable weather and, as a result, manhole covers protruding from the ground on the new street circuit led to multiple changes to the schedule, with both qualifying sessions taking place on Saturday and both races on Sunday. In the Silver class, Liang Jiatong (CHN) and Darryl O'Young (HKG) from the Craft-Bamboo Racing Team dominated with their Mercedes-AMG GT3 #77 and secured class victories in both races. Setiawan Santoso (INA) and Liam Talbot (AUS) from Team EBM celebrated victory in the Am class in the first race and finished second in the second race with their Mercedes-AMG GT3 #8. Alex Liu (MAC) and Reinhold Renger (GER) rounded off the result with second place in the Am class in the opening race for the ELEGANT Racing Team in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #30. Mercedes-AMG junior drivers Jayden Ojeda (AUS) and Cao Qi (CHN) were less fortunate: After Ojeda secured pole position in the second qualifying session, the duo retired early after a collision at the start.

In the overall standings, Liang Jiatong secured second place in the GT3 Silver driver standings, while Setiawan Santoso took second place in the GT3 Am driver standings. The Craft-Bamboo Racing Team finished the season in fourth place in the team standings. Over the entire season, the Mercedes-AMG customer sports teams achieved an impressive eight class victories, ten second places and ten third places in twelve races, including two second and three third places overall.

At the season finale, Mercedes-AMG also presented itself with a strong brand presence in China - including its own hospitality, vehicle exhibition and the provision of the official safety car and medical car.

For Darryl O'Young, the weekend in Beijing also marked his last outing in a GT3 car. The Craft-Bamboo Racing team owner will contest his very last race in a Mercedes-AMG GT4 at the FIA GT World Cup Macau (13th to 16th November) and will then concentrate fully on his duties as team boss.

GT World Challenge Europe:The final race of the GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup took place on 12 October at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The three-hour endurance race marked the end of the 2025 season, which consisted of sprint and endurance races. The final race turned into a real thriller: Lucas Auer (AUT), Matteo Cairoli (ITA) and Maro Engel (GER) from the Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER were on course for the title until shortly before the end. However, a direct championship rival managed to make up a position in the final minutes of the race, securing important points and thus clinching the title. Auer, Cairoli and Engel finished 13th in the race and ended the Endurance Cup as runners-up, just one point behind. Auer and Engel also finished second in the overall GT World Challenge standings. Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER ended the season in third place in the overall team standings and in the Endurance Cup.

Silver class: César Gazeau and Aurélien Panis (both FRA) won the title in the Silver overall drivers' standings. They finished second in the Sprint Cup, as well as in the Endurance Cup together with Loris Cabirou (FRA). Team Boutsen VDS won the Silver overall team standings and finished second in both the Silver and Endurance Cups. In Barcelona, Mercedes-AMG junior drivers Tom Kalender (GER), Tanart Sathienthirakul (THA) and Aaron Walker (GBR) secured a place on the podium with a second place in the class.

Bronze class: Winward Racing finished third in the Bronze Overall Team classification and in the Endurance Cup. In the drivers' standings, Rinat Salikhov (FIA) finished second and Marvin Dienst (GER) third.

SRO GT Academy: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport supports a decisive career step for young talent
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport continues its strong commitment to developing young drivers as one of three manufacturers partnering with SRO Motorsports Group in the newly established SRO GT Academy. The innovative programme evaluates drivers not solely by race results, but through a range of objective performance metrics such as fastest qualifying and race laps, and consistency over ten laps. Penalty points are given for incidents or track-limit infringements. Open to Silver-graded drivers under 30, the GT Academy will feature the Mercedes-AMG GT2 competing in the GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli 2026. The overall winner will earn a seat in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for the 2027 GT World Challenge Europe, marking a major step forward in their racing career.

The GT2 European Series comprises six events - five supporting GT World Challenge Europe and one during the SRO Spa Speedweek. Each event features two 60-minute practice sessions, two 10-minute qualifying sessions, and two 50-minute races with mandatory pit stops. From 2026, the series will include three classes: Pro-Am, Am (Masters), and the new Silver category. The SRO GT Academy's scoring system ensures consistent and transparent evaluation across both Silver and Pro-Am classes.

29 October 2000: 25 years since Bernd Schneider claimed the first title of the new DTM era
In one week, it will be the 25th anniversary of Bernd Schneider's first championship title in the newly re-established Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM). Despite retiring from the season finale at the Hockenheimring, the Saarland-born driver was crowned champion at the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz CLK-DTM. For Bernd Schneider, it was the second DTM title of his career, having already secured his first in 1995. The success story of Bernd Schneider remains unique in touring car racing to this day: now 61 years old, he is the most successful driver in the history of the series, with five DTM titles (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006). He shaped the DTM like hardly any other driver and can still regularly be found at DTM races today as a guest and AMG brand ambassador.