P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Kimi Antonelli back in the driving seat at Mercedes
Mercedes F1 star Kimi Antonelli is returning to a Mercedes car for the 2026 season, geared up for his sophomore year in Formula 1 after a successful rookie season in 2025.
In his impressive debut year, Antonelli secured seventh place in the drivers’ championship and earned his first three podium finishes.
Despite a mid-season dip, where he struggled to score points at most race weekends, he showcased his talent and provided valuable support to his teammate George Russell.
Antonelli and Russell are optimistic about Mercedes’ potential to contend for more victories in the upcoming season, with the arrival of new F1 regulations.
Amid rumors of Mercedes adapting well to the regulation changes, comparable to their success in the 2014 hybrid era, Antonelli got a taste of the new W17 car during his seat fitting and bantered with his engineers in a video shared on the team’s YouTube channel.
The 2026 F1 cars will undergo significant design alterations, including reduced weight, wheelbase, and width, along with changes to aerodynamics focusing on active elements for different driving modes.
