Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Mercedes admit being ‘scared’ of Kimi Antonelli’s stellar F1 season run.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has admitted Andrea Kimi Antonelli‘s stellar start to the 2026 Formula 1 season “scares me”.
11 May 2926
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week

“Kimi is doing an exceptional job at the start of this season,” Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “It’s only his second year in F1, and he’s won three races in a row. He deserves all the recognition he’s receiving, but at the same time, we need to maintain a sense of proportion. F1 is based on consistency, not just on individual moments of success, and Kimi needs the space to grow and write his own story without too much pressure.”

Wolff admits he is scared for when Antonelli makes his first mistake, or rather, the scale of the fallout he predicts that will ensue. “That’s exactly what scares me,” Wolff explained. Kimi is young, he’s charismatic, a little big star… but after a great start, he could have some bad moments, and I don’t want the public to start saying, ‘Oh, what’s happening? We were wrong about him?’”

“It will all be part of the growth process we, as a team, are ready for, but the response from the public, especially in Italy, scares us a little. We all want Kimi to become one of the greats of F1, but it’s only the beginning, and we have to treat him like a rough diamond. The media, the fans, and even us at the team have to make this effort.”

“Response from the public, especially in Italy, scares us a little”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...tellar-f1-run/


Toto Wolff shares opinion on 'big surprise' from Red Bull
Toto Wolff expected McLaren to take a step forward at the Miami Grand Prix, but did not anticipate Red Bull's rapid improvement.
12 May 2026
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted his surprise at the scale of Red Bull's performance leap at the Miami Grand Prix, describing the Milton Keynes squad's progress as the standout development of the weekend. Red Bull introduced seven updates to the RB22 in Florida, including their interpretation of Ferrari's "Macarena" rear wing, which propelled Max Verstappen from midfield obscurity to genuine front-running pace.

"We're only at the beginning of this new regulation cycle, and the development curve is very steep, so we expected McLaren, with a significant update package, to gain even half a second," Wolff told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I have to say that Red Bull was a big surprise because they made a huge step forward, going from more than a second behind the leader to being right there at the front, fighting with Verstappen."

‘Standout development of the weekend’;

https://racingnews365.com/toto-wolff...-from-red-bull


WOLFF EXPLAINS HOW BONNINGTON HAS BEEN A ‘GOOD MENTOR AND STRONG BOSS’ FOR ANTONELLI
Pete ‘Bono’ Bonnington, Kimi Antonelli’s race engineer at Mercedes, has received praise from team boss Toto Wolff for how he has handled working with the youngster.
8 May 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Speaking to the media after Antonelli’s latest win in Miami, Toto Wolff was quizzed on how important Bonnington has been in terms of looking after the teenager on the radio, having been heard to warn Antonelli about track limits during the race.

“Bono has learned from the greats, from Schumacher to Hamilton for many years and then now to Kimi,” Wolff responded. “He's been a good mentor to him, but also a strong boss.

“There were a few times today when he had two strikes with the track limits – I said to Bono, ‘One more and I'm gonna go on the radio’, and he said, ‘No, no, you leave that to me’. That shows he just knows how to handle it. That's good, he's been part of the success.”

‘Bono’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...dOxhjvRGV0UclL


Toto Wolff backed to share the love as Mercedes fight intensifies
Martin Brundle does not feel Toto Wolff will struggle to manage George Russell and Kimi Antonelli fairly through an intra-Mercedes F1 drivers' championship battle.
11 May 2026
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Martin Brundle believes Toto Wolff will have no problem supporting George Russell and Kimi Antonelli simultaneously if the current F1 season develops into a two-horse race between the pair. "They're both protégés of Mercedes-Benz," Brundle said on Sky Sports F1. "They've been brought through the system together.”

"But is Toto one of those team bosses... We know a few of them who can only love one driver at a time. I think he's shown that he can handle two fast drivers in the team, even if they run into each other every so often. You can't underestimate Kimi Antonelli," the former F1 driver added.

"When you saw Antonelli's pace to win the Japanese Grand Prix, that was something quite special, but then of course, he got quite lucky with the safety car, and George [got] unlucky with the safety car. So I'm still of the opinion that George's experience will play out a few times this year, which will give him the upper hand. But as with any sport at the highest level, you can't underestimate anybody."

‘Toto Wolff backed to share the love’;

https://racingnews365.com/toto-wolff...ht-intensifies


Wolff sends clear message on Russell form amid Antonelli dominance
11 MAY 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Toto Wolff has offered his assessment of George Russell’s recent dip in form, contrasting it with the rise of teammate Kimi Antonelli. While Antonelli continues to flourish, Russell’s season has taken a tougher turn, with the 28-year-old now on a two-race run without a podium finish. Reflecting on the contrasting fortunes of his drivers, Wolff admitted that Antonelli has been the more consistent performer on race weekends, while also backing Russell to rediscover his best form.

"What we love about this sport is that the clock never lies at the end of the race, and the clock says Kimi deservedly won the last three GPs. Russell hasn't done as well, in some cases due to team problems, or bad luck, and in Miami due to his own mistakes. That said, we know George's value, and we know he'll return, starting from Canada, very competitive and ready to make life difficult for his opponents,” Wolff said via Gazzetta dello Sport.

“The clock never lies at the end of the race”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/wolff...-surge-in-form


Toto Wolff drops honest Antonelli admission amid title charge
10 MAY 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

The Mercedes team boss, who has watched his prodigy surge to the top of the drivers’ standings in only his second season in the sport, reflected on the expectations now being placed on Antonelli and the reaction he could face from the public when setbacks inevitably arrive after such a flawless run of form.

The 54-year-old stressed that Mercedes’ primary objective is to carefully nurture Antonelli’s development, describing the teenager as a “rough diamond”. "That's exactly what scares me. Kimi is young, he's charismatic, a little big star... but after a great start, he could have some bad moments, and I don't want the public to start saying, 'Oh, what's happening? We were wrong about him?'”

“It will all be part of the growth process we, as a team, are ready for, but the response from the public, especially in Italy, scares us a little. We all want Kimi to become one of the greats of F1, but it's only the beginning and we have to treat him like a rough diamond. The media, the fans, and even us at the team have to make this effort, Wolff said to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

‘Watched his prodigy surge to the top’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/toto-...d-title-charge

[Fortitude]

Why F1 star Max Verstappen is racing in Nuerburgring 24 Hours midway through the season?
Nuerburgring 24 Hours is an iconic endurance race which has gained an even greater significance this year due to the participation of Max Verstappen.
16 May 2026
FP Sports Desk
Firstpost

Why Verstappen is racing in Germany: Verstappen has been among the biggest critics of the new F1 regulations and has even hinted at being willing to retire from the sport. He has previously also stated that he wanted to compete in other racing categories.

When his Red Bull-backed entry to the Nuerburgring 24 Hours was confirmed, he revealed that the race was on his bucket list for a long time. He also said that he wants to try out other things as he is currently in the perfect age to do that. “The 24h Nuerburgring is a race that’s been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really thrilled we can make it happen now,” Verstappen had said in March.

“All the big endurance races I want to do, it’s something that when I was a kid, my dad was doing them,” Verstappen said. “I don’t need to be only an F1 driver, I can also do other things. I’ve done this already for a while, achieved everything I want to achieve so that’s why I want to explore other things and I don’t want to do them when I’m 40 years old. Now is the perfect age to do it.”

“The 24h Nuerburgring is a race that’s been on my bucket list for a long time”;

https://www.firstpost.com/sports/max...-14011797.html


What Max Verstappen's rival's post-qualifying comments reveal about his Nurburgring 24 approach
Max Verstappen's Nurburgring 24 Hours entry will start from fourth on the grid on Saturday afternoon
15 May 2026
Sam Hall
Crash.Net

Rival drivers have praised the impact of Max Verstappen’s efforts at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, after the F1 champion qualified in the top four for this weekend’s race. “I felt comfortable in the car because we were targeting to get to the top qualifying three, which of course is not easy with the competition out there," said Verstappen.

“It's super tough, a lot of fast cars around, but we just managed to sneak in. So the final lap was just good enough and it was nice. Luckily, it was dry, the car felt all right and we managed to sneak in. So that was the target and yeah, yesterday, a lot of changing conditions and for me the first time in the night.”

‘Rival drivers have praised the impact of Max Verstappen’s efforts’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109513...nurburgring-24


Max Verstappen reacts to Nurburgring 24 Hours start with grid in awe of F1 star
15 May 2026
Ed Hardy
Motorsport.com

‘Max Verstappen reacts’;

https://www.motorsport.com/endurance...star/10821016/


MAX QUALIFIES FOR THE BATTLE FOR POLE AT THE RING: 'GOAL ACHIEVED'
15 May 2026
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl

“I felt good in the car. Of course, our goal was to get into the Top Qualifying 3. That isn’t an easy task with this level of competition. There are a lot of fast cars, but we managed to do it. The last lap was just fast enough. Luckily it was dry and the car felt good.”

Max also reflected on his first Nordschleife laps in the night. “Yesterday, there were a lot of changing conditions and for me it was the first time in probably the worst circumstances with the rain and fog. But at least it gave me a good idea of what could be coming our way in the race.”

'GOAL ACHIEVED';

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6152/


Mercedes "never seen anything like" Max Verstappen's Nurburgring 24 adaptation
Max Verstappen has earned praise from Mercedes over his adaptation to GT racing at the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
16 May 2026
Sam Hall
Crash.Net

Mercedes has hailed the efforts of Max Verstappen at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, as the Red Bull Formula 1 driver contests the iconic race for the first time. "Thanks to Max, many fans who normally only follow Formula 1 are now also watching," Mercedes’ head of customer racing, Stefan Wendl, told De Telegraaf.

"They see that this is another completely different aspect of motorsport, including exciting wheel-to-wheel fights. They may not be used to that anymore. It's great to see what Max is bringing about. And that even more people now feel how great this event is, with that special atmosphere along the track.”

“And then there are the amateur racers who are chasing their dreams by driving here and then also being in the same race as Verstappen. I met Max in December last year during our first test day in Portugal,” he said. “I learned more about his approach and how he prepares. And I knew immediately: 'okay, this is a case apart', in a positive sense, that is.”

"Never seen anything like";

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109530...-24-adaptation


Verstappen leaves Nürburgring 24H in the lead after remarkable run
16 May 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen completed an excellent double stint in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, handing the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 over to teammate Jules Gounon in the race lead. After Daniel Juncadella got the action underway in the endurance race, which will only come to an end tomorrow at 3 PM, the four-time world champion can be pleased with what he delivered during his double stint, climbing through the order with a string of overtakes before taking the race lead.

The Dutchman carved his way through the field from 10th to first, extending his lead to as much as 23 seconds over the car behind by the time he came in for his pit stop. The #3 car is currently running second on track at the time of writing, but is effectively leading once the rest of the field completes their stops. Speaking to the media after his opening stint, Verstappen said he was pleased with how things had gone, especially after having to work his way through traffic early on before the worsening weather conditions helped make the difference.

The Dutchman explained that once he managed to clear a few cars, the slippery conditions allowed him to build a stronger pace advantage, while also praising the car’s balance throughout the stint. He admitted it was not easy to find the right compromise between pushing on the limit and staying out of trouble, but felt everything ultimately worked out well. Verstappen also reflected on the scary moment he experienced during the stint, revealing he had turned in slightly too early before losing the rear of the car. However, the four-time world champion managed to keep the car out of the barriers and continue without major consequences, stressing the importance of staying calm and immediately refocusing.

‘Remarkable run’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...remarkable-run

[Fortitude]

Max Verstappen grabs Nurburgring 24 Hours lead during stunning night stint.
The 24 Hours of Nürburgring has entered its final 8 hours. Verstappen Racing still leads after a strong night stint by Max Verstappen.
17 May 2026
Pepijn van der Hulst & Nick Golding
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen has put the #3 Mercedes into the lead of the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours, following an exceptional night stint. The Dutchman took over from Dani Juncadella at around 01:30 local time early Sunday morning, with Verstappen immediately in a battle with the #80 Mercedes.

Verstappen overtook Maro Engel for the lead, although it was far from a smooth overtake. Contact was made between the duo which saw Engel end up on the grass. Luckily, Verstappen escaped enscathed and with the lead, before handing the car over to Jules Gounon following a strong double stint.

‘Verstappen Racing still leads’;

https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...ng-night-stint


NURBURGRING 24 HOURS, 06:00-09:00: MAX VERSTAPPEN LEADS WITH 6 HOURS TO GO
17 May 2026
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl

With six hours to go in the 54th running of the Nurburgring 24 Hours, Verstappen Racing’s #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 van Verstappen Racing still leads ahead of the #80 Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol and the #84 Lamborghini.

After the last pit stop of both leading Mercs, Verstappen Racing’s Jules Gounon has managed to extend the team’s lead to 28s. The Andorran-French driver then hands over to Lucas Auer. The Austrian settles in for a double stint in which he duels with Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz of the #80 outfit.

‘MAX VERSTAPPEN LEADS WITH 6 HOURS TO GO’;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6160/


Verstappen shrugs off scary airborne Nurburgring near miss
Max Verstappen labelled his close encounter with a barrier merely “a little moment” despite threatening to derail his Nurburgring 24.
17 May 2026
Simon Chapman
Speedcafe

During his first stint, Verstappen was trailing the Christian Engelhart-driven #7 Konrad Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan when his car suddenly took flight at Pflanzgarten. The #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG went onto the grass and appeared to give the outside barrier a light graze. The close call came just over an hour into the race having taken the reins of the car from co-driver Dani Juncadella.

“Yeah, we had a little moment,” said Verstappen after his first stint. “I think I turned in a bit too early, and then, yeah, we had a little moment there. But it was fine. You just have to keep yourself together, stay calm, and just focus again.”

“A little moment”;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-m...n-first-stint/


Verstappen and Engel clash in wild overnight Nordschleife battle
17 May 2026
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com

Engel vs Verstappen: Engel stepped into the car one stint before Verstappen and battled with Daniel Juncadella for his first stint. The #80 Mercedes built up a 10-second gap while Engel fought Juncadella and traffic behind the wheel. However, after pitting, Verstappen stepped into the sister Winward Mercedes around 1:30 CET. After that, it was a non-stop battle between the two. Verstappen and Engel both had their elbows out as they battled.

Both Mercedes sliced through traffic and the rest of the field to stay on each other's tails. It was toward the end of Engel's second stint and Verstappen's first that the fight heated up. As the two approached traffic, both were dedicated to being first. Verstappen and Engel both went to the left of the track. It was then that the two touched. Luckily, Engel was able to regain control of the #80 and quickly get back on track. After his stint and battle with Verstappen, Engel said, "Yeah, good double stint, the car's running well. [I] had a lot of fun out there with Max."

"Obviously, the Nordschleife is always special at night. It's a cool place, and I just enjoyed pushing our AMG GT3 through the night with Max. I hope we entertained the fans a little bit, those of them who stayed awake." Both Engel and Verstappen battled during the middle of the night. For Verstappen, this was a career first. Engel added, "I will go for some sleep, and my teammates take over, and then we'll see how the race progresses." As it stands, Verstappen Racing leads the race, with Verstappen set to step back in during the 18th hour.

‘Engel vs Verstappen’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...chleife-battle


Max Verstappen has lucky escape after contact with team-mate
17 May 2026
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen and his #3 car took over the lead in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, but overnight, he had considerable contact with Maro Engel, who is driving the number #80, which is the sister Winward Racing machine!

‘Lucky escape’;

https://racingnews365.com/see-versta...che-with-engel


Max Verstappen hailed as 'amazing ambassador' over motorsport passion
Max Verstappen is bringing major attention to motorsport outside F1, something which has not been done to this extent in recent years.
17 May 2026
Nick Golding
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen has been hailed as an "amazing ambassador" for motorsport because of the awareness he has brought to championships outside Formula 1, according to António Félix da Costa. This weekend, Verstappen is competing in the Nürburgring 24 Hours for the first time, having spent significant time preparing for the event when not racing for Oracle Red Bull Racing in Formula 1.

Discussing the significance of what Verstappen is doing, da Costa told RacingNews365 during an interview: "I think what Max Verstappen is doing this year, and what Fernando Alonso did a few years ago by competing in the WEC and taking two sabbatical years away from Formula 1, is fantastic.”
"I think these two guys understand that there's a lot of talent outside the Formula 1 paddock, and that just brings the whole motorsport world closer together. It shows the fans that there is more racing out there than just Formula 1, right? So we can only thank them. They're amazing ambassadors for the sport, and they're helping us grow."

‘Max Verstappen hailed’;

https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...rsport-passion