George Russell

Ahead of the weekend, we would have taken P4 in qualifying. Having said that, after the performance in FP3 where we were quickest every single lap, we only improved six tenths from that session to qualifying. Considering that track temperatures dropped and we had less fuel in the car, we didn’t extract as much as we should have. That was a little disappointing. I want to end the season on a high so ultimately my goal is to be on the podium and get the most out of the points for the team in the Constructors’ Championship so let’s see what tomorrow holds for us – we will aim for the best result possible. I’m excited for the final race of the season and although Lewis had a tricky session today, I am sure he will move forward tomorrow. 
Lewis Hamilton

It was a challenging session for me today, I’ve been struggling with the set-up of the car here in Abu Dhabi this weekend, although our cars are set up the same, so we need to understand what it is on my side of the garage that’s causing the lack of performance. George managed to get the most out of the car today finishing in P4. It takes some good going for me to not make it into Q3 so we need to do a deep dive and try our best to move up tomorrow. The team here and back in the factory deserves a good result for the final race of the season so we will work hard as always and hopefully it will pay off and we can find improvements ahead of tomorrow.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

FP3 felt strong so we’re disappointed that we didn’t manage to put it together in Qualifying. Both Lewis and George struggled with grip and overall performance of the car. Our expectations obviously were higher but P4 was the maximum we could achieve today with George and I think we can be content with that; Lewis had a more difficult time, and was knocked out in Q2 by just a few milliseconds. We need to understand why we struggled in qualifying after such a promising FP3 and how we can maximize our performance tomorrow. It was a challenging session for all teams and the field is so close together, so we need to work hard overnight and give it our all tomorrow to end the season on a positive note and secure our position in the Constructor’s Championship. 
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

George had a really solid run over the three practice sessions and it felt like we might have done a bit better than fourth today but it was a decent lap, just seemed that in the cooler conditions we were lacking the strengths that we'd had on a hotter track. Lewis has had a difficult session, he sat out FP1 and only got three laps in due to the red flags in FP2 so was trying to fit low and high fuel work into the session this morning. That wasn't the best preparation for qualifying but hopefully it will help him tomorrow. We've done decent long run work this weekend, plenty of laps and hopefully we have a good handle on how the tyres are going to work. Hopefully we can have a strong race.

McLaren Racing and Mercedes-Benz today announced that the McLaren F1 team will continue to enjoy Mercedes-AMG power from 2026 to 2030, thereby becoming the brand’s first customer for the new 2026 power unit regulations alongside the works team.

McLaren has been powered by Mercedes-AMG since 2021, and in a previous era from 1995 to 2014 continuously. 2026 will therefore mark the 26th year of collaboration between the two prestigious brands, both of which have committed to and invested in the sport over many decades and are now cornerstones of the sport.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with McLaren Racing to at least the end of this decade. The long-term nature of this agreement reflects our shared trust and commitment to our future power unit strategy. Together, we look forward to building momentum towards 2026 and the beginning of another new era of an electrified innovative power unit design in Formula One.”
Markus Schaefer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer

Mercedes powered the first ever hybrid race win in F1 at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix with the KERS system and has led the way in innovation and performance since the introduction of the current power unit regulations in 2014. Mercedes-AMG has powered 114 victories in 203 Grands Prix, including two for customer teams. Throughout, strong customer teams have played a key role in development and learning, alongside the works team.

“It has been a cornerstone of our motorsport strategy to work with strong customer teams. This has many advantages: it gives a clear competitive benchmark, accelerates our technical learning, and strengthens the overall F1 business case for Mercedes-Benz. McLaren have been fierce and fair competitors since 2021, especially in the second half of this season. McLaren’s strong performances underline the importance of transparent and equal supply to all customer teams in the sport, if we wish to achieve the goal of ten teams capable of fighting for podium finishes.”
Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

For 2026, Formula One will welcome two new power unit manufacturers to the current four incumbents, as it tackles another paradigm shift in technical regulations. The new power units will enjoy 50% internal combustion and 50% electrical power. This has been achieved by increasing electrical performance and rebalancing the performance of the internal combustion engine, to deliver a maximum output of over 1000 horsepower.

The new power units will run on 100% sustainable fuel – which will conform to strict sustainability criteria in both its production and formulation – and overall fuel consumption will be reduced. The electrical systems on the power unit have been taken to the next performance level, and it will feature a single 350 kW electric motor – which is nearly three times more powerful than the current MGU-K, and will require the development of a suitable high-performance battery system.

Furthermore, development of the new generation of power units will take place under cost cap regulations, designed to limit maximum technical spend on the project and consolidate the investment case for power unit supply in the sport.

“The team at HPP enjoys a long and successful history with McLaren, and we’re delighted to confirm the extension of the relationship into the new regulation cycle. Securing this agreement now, with two full seasons until we race the 2026 power unit, gives us a great opportunity to optimise our combined efforts for lap time. We are looking forward to renewing our relationship and working together towards that goal.”
Hywel Thomas, Managing Director, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains

Looking ahead to 2026, development of the new power unit has been underway since mid-2022 at Mercedes‑AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, UK. This high-performance R&D centre has produced every Mercedes-AMG F1 powertrain but is also a cutting-edge development facility for the wider group when it comes to high-performance electric propulsion technology. Preparation for 2026 is a long-term game, in which clarity and continuity will be extremely important; and a healthy portfolio of the best possible customer teams will deliver faster learning when the cars hit the track in 2026.

“Mercedes-Benz have been a brilliant and reliable partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team. The extension signifies the confidence that our shareholders and the wider team have in their powertrains and the direction we’re taking with them into the new era of regulations ahead. We have been successful together, both in the last three seasons and when they previously powered the team, so we look forward to the success to come as we continue our journey to fight consistently at the front of the grid.”
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing

McLaren returned to Mercedes-AMG power in 2021. Since then, the team has won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, – which is the most recent victory for any customer team in Formula One. McLaren has scored 15 grands prix podium finishes in the past three seasons, as well as pole at the F1 Sprint in Brazil, and pole and victory in the F1 Sprint in Qatar this season.

“We are pleased to confirm a long-term renewal of our power unit deal with Mercedes-Benz into the new era of regulations. We have great confidence in Mercedes and our relationship with them. They’ve supported our journey back to the front of the grid so far, and the security and stability this partnership brings is vital in ensuring we remain on this upward trajectory. I would like to thank them for their collaboration so far and we look forward to the years to come.”
Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team
About McLaren Racing

McLaren Racing was founded by racing driver Bruce McLaren 60 years ago in 1963. The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966. McLaren has since won 20 Formula 1 world championships, 183 Formula 1 grands prix, the Indianapolis 500 three times, and the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt.

McLaren Racing competes across five racing series. The team competes in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi and David Malukas, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with NEOM McLaren Formula E Team drivers Jake Hughes and Sam Bird, and the Extreme E Championship with NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team drivers Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust. The team also competes in the F1 Esports Pro Championship as McLaren Shadow, having won the 2022 Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.

McLaren is a champion for sustainability in the sport and a signatory to the UN Sports for Climate Action Commitment. It is committed to achieving net zero by 2040 and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture in the motorsport industry.

Danish driver to get two further opportunities behind-the-wheel

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Junior Driver Frederik Vesti will take part in FP1 for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend. The Dane will also get a full day’s running in the W14 during next Tuesday’s (28 November) end-of-season test at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Last month, the 21-year-old participated in FP1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix, in place of George Russell. He will now fulfil the second of the two FP1 sessions in which the team must run a rookie, driving Lewis Hamilton’s car. The end-of-season test will also mark one year since Fred got his first experience of F1 machinery, as he took part in the same event driving the W13 in 2022.

Fred, in his second year in the category, is currently second in the 2023 F2 Championship. He has taken four victories and three other podium finishes so far this season, ahead of the final round of 2023, where he still has a chance of claiming the title.

Fred, who has been a member of the team’s junior programme since 2021, said: “Driving in FP1 in Abu Dhabi is another step in my career. Getting my first experience of an official session on an F1 weekend in Mexico was a big moment. I learnt so much, and it was great being able to support the team and work with Lewis and George. I’m looking forward to building on that experience at Yas Marina. It’s a track I know well and that will no doubt make it easier to get up to speed in the one hour of practice. I’m extremely excited to get back behind-the-wheel of the W14 for FP1 and then the post-season test. Once again, I want to say a big thank you to the team for giving me this opportunity.”

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director, commented: “Fred acquitted himself well during his first FP1 session in Mexico City, running through the programme smoothly and helping us begin the weekend in a positive manner. We look forward to having him back in the car for Abu Dhabi. It will be a busy weekend for Fred, given his F2 commitments. He has shown he has the maturity and confidence to handle this though, and I am sure he will get the most out of it across the weekend.”

SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced a multi-year partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team starting in 2024. As the Official Team Partner, SAP is teaming up with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to accelerate operational efficiency and unlock new data insights to deliver performance gains. SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition, serves as the technology foundation for the team, enabling them to explore how artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud solutions from SAP can inform and predict decisions, optimize resources, and future-proof their IT infrastructure.

Efficiency is the cornerstone of success in Formula One. Therefore, mastering the cost cap challenge and optimizing the team’s complex supply chain are two areas of focus for this partnership. Formula One’s cost cap restricts how much teams can spend each season, with severe penalties if exceeded. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team plans to navigate this complex course by using SAP S/4HANA Finance to allocate, save, and use resources more efficiently. With SAP Business AI capabilities embedded, the team can forecast costs, predict the final budget needs, and optimize both the supply chain and stocked items accordingly. To run its state-of-the-art operation, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is looking forward to leveraging SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition for a secure, and future-proof cloud environment. The team can also take advantage of SAP Build and the SAP Business Technology Platform to implement a transparent, intelligent enterprise architecture - bringing together a single view of data and systems from various sources across the organization. Doing so can lead to shorter lead times for critical car components, ensuring a seamless flow of parts during race weekends.

“Formula One is one of the most technologically innovative sports in the world, where incremental gains yield significant results. Given the extreme conditions under which Formula One teams operate, motorsports provide a global platform to showcase skill and engineering excellence,” said Julia White, Chief Marketing and Solutions Officer and member of the Executive Board at SAP SE. “But beyond the race day performance, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. SAP is proud to partner with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to make sure its operations are as fine-tuned as its cars.”     

This partnership has the potential to create a new blueprint for the automotive industry. Formula One is where latest innovations for the automotive industry are invented and premiered. Together, SAP and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team will deliver new innovations backed by Formula One insights, that will go on to serve and shape the businesses of other SAP customers.

“We are delighted to announce SAP as an Official Team Partner of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team,” CEO & Team Principal Toto Wolff said. “We have a shared heritage and commitment to innovation and improvement which will meaningfully contribute to our on-track performance. SAP is a global leader in its field, and we could not think of a better partner to help us improve our efficiencies in 2024 and beyond.”

Richard Sanders, Chief Commercial Officer of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, commented: "SAP has a long-standing history of brilliant partnerships with some of the best teams and leagues across elite level sport. We are proud to become the latest to join forces with one of the world’s leading companies. Their knowledge, expertise, and services will be vital in enabling greater efficiencies within the team."

About SAP

SAP’s strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent, sustainable enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: SAP customers generate 87% of total global commerce. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers’ businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want – without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 26 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people’s lives.

George Russell

I’m very satisfied with Qualifying today. We were always up there in the top-four, but the Ferraris were a step ahead of everyone today. I think P4 maximised what we had, and we were close with Verstappen for P3. With the grid penalty for Sainz, I think third is a good place to be starting from.

The race itself is going to be very tricky. I am sure there will be a lot of graining for all teams in these cold conditions, but nobody knows exactly how it is going to play out. We may see multiple stops in tomorrow’s race but whoever manages to keep the tyres alive will be big beneficiaries. We had some difficult long runs and I think the Ferraris are quicker than us, not just on the single lap but in race pace. We will do our best to give Leclerc a fight though and hopefully the race will throw up a few surprises.
Lewis Hamilton

That wasn’t a great Qualifying session, but it is what it is. I really struggled for grip out there and we didn’t manage to get the tyres working throughout the whole session. It’s not ideal but it’s an issue I’ve been dealing with for a while. We saw a decent amount of track evolution. Not a crazy amount, but it was still enough to knock me out as I failed to improve on my final lap in Q2.

We’ve seen a lot of graining on the tyres up and down the field in practice, so it will be interesting to see if that continues in the Grand Prix. I think tyre management, how you bring the tyres in and how you progress in addition to where you push and don’t push will be key tomorrow. We made a few changes to the car ahead of FP3 and we’re hoping that they will help us in the race.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

Getting the tyres in the right window remains a little bit of a mystery. You can see the difference between getting it correct and not so correct with our two cars today. We saw it earlier on in FP3 and it’s very difficult to optimise for. Lewis didn’t have any more grip on his final lap. I think we are really talking about only a few degrees centigrade between having grip and not having grip. You can also see this with there being a few surprise eliminations in Q1. On the other side, the Ferraris both put in stunning laps and were deservedly quickest.

It will be absolutely vital to manage the tyres well in the race tomorrow, as we have seen plenty of graining throughout the field in practice. We will have to be patient in the early stages and take it from there. We expect Leclerc and Verstappen, who are starting ahead of George, to be very quick but we will see what we can do.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

Both drivers made a few changes to the car overnight and used the final practice to evaluate those. Whilst George was happier with his balance today, Lewis felt like he'd lost a bit of confidence in the car. We'd wound back on a few of those changes going into Qualifying, but the car wasn't working for Lewis and ultimately, he got bumped in Q2 by a small margin. George was having a happier time and put together three solid runs. We didn’t have an answer for Ferrari's single lap pace today and they were very strong. We still get to start third on the grid though which puts us in a good position to fight for a podium. There are a lot of unknowns going into the race, mainly around how the Hard tyre will warm up and how it will last on a long run. It's clear the Soft and the Medium will suffer graining at some point if used, so we will need to deploy careful management. The Hard should allow for a bit more pushing however and that should open the race up a bit.