Mercedes
Mercedes-AMG Petronas is the dominant constructor of the 2026 Formula 1 season through the Canadian Grand Prix. The team runs Kimi Antonelli (championship leader) and George Russell, and is the only constructor with both drivers in the top two of the Drivers' Championship. Based in Brackley, UK, with engines built in Brixworth, the team has won seven consecutive Constructors' Championships from 2014 to 2021 and remains the benchmark for the post-Hamilton era.
2026 storyline
Mercedes enters Monaco GP 2026 with a 1-2 in the Drivers' Championship: Antonelli leads with 100 points, Russell sits second with 80[2]. The team is widely considered the class of the field through the opening rounds, particularly on qualifying pace.
The narrative is unusual on two counts. First, the championship leader is a sophomore driver in his second F1 season, not a multi-time champion. Second, the team is performing this well in the first year of a major regulation reset, which is rare; new rule sets typically produce a year of competitive turbulence before a dominant team emerges.
Background
- Base: Brackley, Northamptonshire, UK (chassis); Brixworth (power unit)
- Power unit: Mercedes (in-house)
- Team principal: see team's official site for current leadership
- Founded as Tyrrell (1968) and reformed under Mercedes ownership in 2010[1]
Championship history
Mercedes won seven consecutive Constructors' Championships from 2014 to 2021, the longest such streak in F1 history. The Drivers' Championship was won by Lewis Hamilton in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, and by Nico Rosberg in 2016[1].
The Mercedes era (2014-2021) coincided with the V6 hybrid power unit regulations introduced in 2014. The team built a dominant power unit and chassis package that remained competitive through multiple rule revisions.
The 2025-2026 driver transition
:::analysis After Hamilton announced his Ferrari move in early 2024, Mercedes faced a major driver-line decision for 2025. The team promoted Andrea Kimi Antonelli, then 18, from its junior programme to partner George Russell as the senior driver. The promotion was widely viewed as a long-term bet on Antonelli's potential rather than a near-term championship play.
The 2026 form has retrospectively validated the bet. Antonelli's three opening race wins and championship lead make this one of the strongest sophomore seasons in F1 history. Russell, meanwhile, has emerged as the consistent points scorer alongside, currently second in the Drivers' Championship in his fifth Mercedes season. :::
Driver lineup
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli — Italian, ANT, championship leader at 100 points after Canada. See /drivers/kimi-antonelli.
- George Russell — British, RUS, second in the championship at 80 points. See /drivers/george-russell.
Related
- [1]Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team (Wikipedia) (wikipedia-en). Accessed 2026-05-25.
- [2]Mercedes — Formula 1 team (formula1). Accessed 2026-05-25.