Mercedes Shakes Down W17 with Russell and Antonelli at Silverstone

Mercedes has officially fired up its 2026 campaign by hitting the track with the new W17. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli shared driving duties during a filming day at Silverstone, completing 67 laps in wet and cold conditions to validate the car's initial systems and ensure everything functions as intended.

Why it matters:

This shakedown represents the culmination of months of intense design and manufacturing work at Brackley and Brixworth. With the 2026 regulations bringing significant changes, confirming that the car leaves the garage safely and reliably is the essential first step. Any issues found here could have been fixed before the crucial pre-season test, maximizing performance data gathering in Barcelona.

The details:

• Mileage: The team completed 67 laps on the International Circuit layout, totaling just under 200 kilometers—the maximum allowed for a filming day.
• Driver Rotation: Both Russell and rookie Antonelli had significant stints in the cockpit. This allowed Mercedes to correlate feedback from an experienced hand and a fresh perspective early in the car's lifecycle.
• Weather Conditions: The session took place in typically British weather—wet and cold. While not ideal for outright performance runs, it offered an early opportunity to test systems and drivability in lower-grip scenarios.
• Commercial Reveal: The W17 sported new livery elements, specifically the Microsoft logo on the airbox, confirming the new multi-year technical partnership announced earlier in the day.
• Engineering Focus: Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin emphasized that the day was about "sensible running" focused on safety checks rather than pushing for lap times.

What's next:

The Silverstone shakedown serves as a confidence booster before the real work begins. The team now packs up for Barcelona, where the focus will shift from basic reliability to performance tuning and understanding the W17's behavior over longer stints.