•       Andrew Shovlin on Schumacher: “He wrote down everything we had to do overnight.”

•       ADAC GT Masters: SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm starts with a Mercedes-AMG GT3

•       1:28.145 minutes: Track record for Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver Jayden Ojeda in Asia

Formula 1

Michael Schumacher’s last pole position: a lap for the ages
On 26 May 2012, Michael Schumacher secured in Monaco pole position in the final qualifying segment on his last run. It was his first pole position since his Formula 1 comeback in 2010. No one had expected this result, but at that moment, everything clicked into place. Peter Bonington, who was his race engineer at the time, remembers how Michael moved through the urban canyons on fresh tyres as if he were on rails. With the important groundwork he laid between 2010 and 2012, Michael laid the foundation for the Silver Arrows’ successes in the hybrid era from 2014 onwards.
> Video Peter Bonington and Andrew Shovlin on the record-breaking world champion’s dream lap» href=»https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2_lF8v83sw» target=»_blank» rel=»noopener»>>> Video Peter Bonington and Andrew Shovlin on the record-breaking world champion’s dream lap

«It was fascinating to see how different he was compared to all the other drivers. He wrote down everything we had to do overnight. During the races, we had to carry out analyses and experiment with different approaches. This certainly played a big part in shaping the team.»
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

Kimi Antonelli masters the balancing act between Formula 1 and school
Sixty-seven days have passed since the lights went out in Melbourne, marking the beginning of Kimi Antonelli’s career as a driver for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team. A lot has changed in his life since then, but some things have stayed the same. Outside of the world of racing, the 18-year-old continues to attend school, albeit virtually. With the F1 calendar featuring 24 races, it would be hard to do otherwise. Although Kimi is supported by his school and classmates, he has to work through the material independently. That’s a huge job – especially right now, in the middle of a triple-header. Although it requires energy and discipline, Kimi values both the school qualifications and the relationship with his classmates. Before his home race at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, he organised a very special school trip: rather than just watching Formula 1 on TV, his classmates had the opportunity to experience the pinnacle of motorsport first-hand. Kimi invited his school class to the paddock and showed them his team’s motorhome, as well as the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 W16 E Performance. It was an experience that his classmates will not soon forget. > Article» href=»https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/news/catching-up-with-kimi-life-as-an-f1-driver-goals-for-the-future-and-school» target=»_blank» rel=»noopener» data-selectedoidtolink=»»>>> Article

“They’re used to watching the races on TV, but they don’t really know what goes on behind the scenes. It’s also a good way for us to spend time together, as I’m often away. I think those little things can make a big difference to a relationship.”
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Driver

20 May 2025: Anniversary of Niki Lauda’s death
Yesterday marked six years since Niki Lauda passed away. He lives on in the hearts of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team. Since 2019, a red star has been a permanent fixture on the current Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 racing car. «The little red star will remain on the car forever,» Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Principal Toto Wolff once said. You can find out more here about how the team is keeping Niki’s memory alive. > Article» href=»https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/news/niki-lauda-the-reason-we-carry-a-red-star-on-our-car» target=»_blank» rel=»noopener» data-selectedoidtolink=»»>>> Article

GT Sport

ADAC GT Masters: SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm to field a Mercedes-AMG GT3
The ADAC GT Masters kicks off its 18th season this coming weekend (23rd to 25th May) at the DEKRA Lausitzring. The Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Team SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm will be at the start with a Mercedes-AMG GT3. The team led by team boss Thomas Angerer will contest a full season in the championship for the first time, which kicks off as part of the DTM. The car with start number #21 will be driven by Jannes Fittje and Moritz Wiskirchen (both GER). Both have already competed in the ADAC GT Masters in the past. At the official test day at the Lausitzring on 7 May, 22-year-old Wiskirchen set the fastest time of the day with a lap time of 1:20.805 minutes. In the last two years, SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm has made a total of twelve guest starts in the series, achieving two podium finishes. Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Teams have already won the ADAC GT Masters championship five times (2012, 2015, 2022, 2023, 2024) and the team classification four times (2012, 2018, 2023, 2024). The 2025 ADAC GT Masters season comprises a total of six race weekends.

Anticipation for the Green Hell: Preparations for the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring are underway
The ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers will also take place this coming weekend. The traditional event is considered a dress rehearsal and qualifying opportunity for the big 24-hour race in the Eifel, which will take place on 21 and 22 June. The Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed will be fielding two Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the Qualifiers. In addition to the car with start number #17 in BILSTEIN branding, the #14 will take to the 25.378-kilometre course in a special livery. The design was created at an internal event during this year’s GT Driver Kick-Off in March. All squad drivers competed in four groups to assemble and customise a remote controlled Mercedes-AMG GT3 car on a scale of 1:10 within two and a half hours. The Mercedes-AMG Motorsport employees then voted for the best design. The winners were Mikaël Grenier (CAN), Maximilian Götz (GER) and Ralf Aron (EST). The full-size Mercedes-AMG GT3 now features black and white livery inspired by Klaus Ludwig’s legendary 1992 DTM design, in which Ludwig won his second DTM title. The car is also adorned with AMG elements, such as the Affalterbach crest on the roof. A special highlight for fans at the track: visitors of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers can sign their names on the bonnet of the vehicle and become part of the team themselves. The GT3 #14 will be driven by Ralf Aron, Adam Christodoulou (GBR) and Mikaël Grenier, while the #17 will be driven by Maxime Martin (BEL), Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz (both GER).

GT World Challenge: Success in America, Asia and Europe
Lucas Auer (AUT) and Maro Engel (GER) finished third in Saturday’s GT World Challenge Europe race at Zandvoort. Despite a 5-second penalty, the reigning Sprint Cup champions confidently maintained their podium position. Engel returned to the pit lane just ahead of another car during the pit stop, which was penalised as an “unsafe release”. However, the lead over the fourth car in the field was enough to secure third place at the finish. In Sunday’s race, the two drivers competing for Winward Racing finished ninth after receiving another five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. The Boutsen VDS team also secured two top-10 finishes: Maxime Martin (BEL) and Luca Stolz (GER) secured eighth place on Saturday and tenth place on Sunday in the Mercedes-AMG GT3. After a victory and a sixth place at the Sprint Cup opener in Brands Hatch two weeks ago, the duo of Engel and Auer currently lie third in the drivers’ standings.

In the GT World Challenge America, Mikaël Grenier (CAN) and Michai Stephens (USA) from Team JMF Motorsports finished third on Sunday at Sebring International Raceway. With the #34 Mercedes-AMG GT3, they have already finished on the podium five times in the first six races – including twice at the top. The duo currently leads the Pro drivers’ standings. Jeff Burton (USA) and Philip Ellis (SUI) from Team Regulator Racing are also in second place in the Pro-Am drivers‘ standings after two second places last weekend. After the summer break, the GT World Challenge America will resume in mid-July at the VIRginia International Raceway. In the global manufacturers’ standings, Mercedes-AMG is tied with BMW M Motorsport at the top with 465 points.

Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver Jayden Ojeda (AUS) set a new track record in the GT World Challenge Asia on the Indonesian island of Lombok last weekend. The Australian lined up alongside Cao Qi (CHN) for Team Craft-Bamboo Racing at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit. In qualifying on Sunday, Ojeda set a new track record in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 with a time of 1:28.145 minutes. With this fastest lap, the 25-year-old secured pole position for the duo. Ojeda initially maintained the lead in the race, with the team building up a lead of up to ten seconds. However, a stop-and-go penalty for exceeding the minimum pit stop time by 0.512 seconds saw the car drop back and ultimately finish in ninth place. The sister car driven by Danial Frost (SGP) and Liang Jiatong (CHN) with start number #77 finished third in the Mercedes-AMG GT3. Ralf Aron (FIN) and Bihuang Zhou (CHN) had already secured second place in Saturday’s race in the #2 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of the Climax Racing team.