Tales from the paddock

• "You have to understand the DNA of racing" - Bernd Mayländer ahead of his 500th F1® Grand Prix
• GT World Challenge Europe: Ten Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the Endurance Cup, six in the Sprint Cup
• Mercedes-AMG Motorsport receives FIA 3-star certificate for sustainability

Formula 1

F1 Academy debut for Payton Westcott
Payton Westcott (USA) is on the verge of realising her dream. The 16-year-old American will compete in the 2026 F1 Academy season with Prema Racing, representing the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. The season begins on 13-15 March 2026, as part of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit. Payton began her career in karting just three years ago. She subsequently impressed with class victories and podium finishes in the Italian F4 and Euro F4 championships, as well as the UAE F4 series. In 2026, she will compete in both the F1 Academy and the Italian Formula 4 Championship.

"We believe this dual programme will accelerate her development and provide a solid foundation for her long-term ambitions in single-seater racing. We look forward to supporting her in this important next phase of her journey with us."
Gwen Lagrue, Team Driver Development Advisor

Payton follows in the footsteps of Doriane Pin, who was crowned F1 Academy champion in 2025. This year, alongside her role as a Development Driver for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, Doriane will also compete in the LMP2 Pro/AM class of the European Le Mans Series.

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All set for the Australian Grand Prix
In preparation for the new F1 season, the teams completed a combined total of 54,000 kilometres in testing. That's equivalent to circling the globe, plus the distance from Vienna to Melbourne. With 6,188 kilometres on the board, George and Kimi covered in the W17 more mileage than any other team. The 2026 season is eagerly awaited. The new regulations require a completely new power unit, with power split 50:50 between the electric motor and the internal combustion engine, alongside the use of 100 % sustainable fuel used. The new generation of cars is also smaller, lighter, and features active aerodynamics. The season starts on 8 March in Australia. The Australian Grand Prix has been a fixture on the calendar since 1996. In 2026, the season opener will take place Down Under for the 24th time.

500th F1® Grand Prix for Bernd Mayländer: Three questions for the Official FIA F1® Safety Car Driver
When the Safety Car is called into action in the top class of motorsport, the brand with the star has been leading the field for 30 years. Bernd Mayländer (GER) has been at the wheel of the Official FIA F1® Safety Car since 2000. In addition to Mercedes-AMG's 30th anniversary, the long-standing AMG brand ambassador also has a very special event coming up at the season opener: Bernd Mayländer will contest his 500th Grand Prix as Official FIA F1® Safety Car driver. In our 'Three Questions for' section, the 54-year-old looks back on a quarter of a century in the service of safety.

Bernd, how did you become the Official FIA F1® Safety Car Driver, and what qualities do you need to still be doing this job after 25 years?
Bernd Mayländer: "In 1999, I was still actively involved in motorsport myself. I was driving in the Porsche Supercup, which was already being held as part of Formula 1® at that time. Prior to that, I had been a driver for Mercedes-Benz in the DTM for four years and later also in the FIA GT Championship. At the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, I got a call on a Friday afternoon from Charlie Whiting, who was the Formula 1® race director at the time. He asked me if I could step in at short notice as the official FIA F1® Safety Car Driver in Formula 3000. This had been arranged by Norbert Haug, who was head of motorsport at Mercedes-Benz at the time. Oliver Gavin, who was driving the Safety Car in both Formula 1® and Formula 3000 at the time, was competing as a driver in Formula 3000 himself. The FIA was therefore looking for a replacement, so I initially took over his role in Formula 3000. A year later, I was finally offered the role of Safety Car Driver in Formula 1®. I was delighted to accept. Since then, I have been working with Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG as the official FIA F1® Safety Car Driver for over 25 years and will be celebrating my 500th Grand Prix with the brand in Melbourne. This era is a very special and significant period in my life. To perform this task over so many years, you need certain qualities. You mustn't imagine that, as an official FIA F1® Safety Car Driver, you are winning a race, even if you are leading every race in which you are deployed. It is also crucial to follow the race control's instructions precisely, to be in constant dialogue with them and to know exactly what information is expected and how to pass it on accurately. As a Safety Car Driver, you are part of the FIA, which is of course something special. And finally, you absolutely must have a fascination for motorsport and maintain it over the years. You have to understand the DNA of racing and realise that you are responsible for leading the field safely and then handing it back to the race control in an orderly manner. I am often asked how long I want to continue doing this. Of course, it's impossible to predict, but I have my sights set firmly on 600, it could also be 700, and 750 would be a great number. To do that, I obviously have to stay in top shape, because a season with 24 races requires a lot of energy. But as long as I enjoy my job so much and can maintain the level together with Mercedes-AMG and the FIA, there will certainly be a few more."

As the Official FIA F1® Safety Car Driver, which situations do you remember most vividly, and which would you rather have done without?
Bernd Mayländer: "Perhaps when I retire, I'll think about writing a book about my time as the Official FIA F1® Safety Car Driver. But of course, I still remember my first race in Melbourne in 2000 very well. I was standing on the starting grid at Albert Park Circuit in the Mercedes-Benz CL 55 AMG, with the entire Formula 1® field behind me. That was a moment I will never forget. Over the years, there have been countless other memorable moments, such as new vehicle models and technical developments. But there have also been negative moments. I am thinking primarily of the serious accidents in Formula 1®, Formula 2 and Formula 3. I would have gladly done without such events. But even in such situations, I had to function and do my job. I don't want to single out any individual scenes - I'd rather forget them. But there are many examples of how we worked together to make the best of difficult situations. Once, for example, we received the wrong fuel. Our AMG mechanics had to remove the tanks in no time and fly in replacement parts. That was obviously extremely stressful, but thanks to perfect teamwork, we were able to master even such situations."

How has Formula 1® changed in terms of safety?
Bernd Mayländer: "Formula 1® has changed enormously over the past few decades - as have the Safety Cars. The FIA and Mercedes-AMG have done an excellent job here. The level of safety has risen steadily thanks to new regulations, technical requirements and, above all, modern engineering. The Official FIA F1® Safety Cars themselves are always at the highest level of safety. Nowadays, we have on-board monitoring systems that provide us with additional information. Communication is now not only via radio, but also visually displayed on monitors. This reduces misunderstandings, ensures clear procedures and helps us to pass on information accurately. Another major advance is the speed and efficiency of cooperation with race control and the FIA. Processes are now significantly faster, clearer and more professional. And, of course, this doesn't just apply to the Official FIA F1® Safety Cars. The F1® cars, the race tracks and the entire motorsport scene also operate at an extremely high level of safety. This is an impressive development that I have been able to experience first-hand and help shape throughout my career."

GT Sport

GT World Challenge Europe: Ten Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the Endurance Cup, six in the Sprint Cup
The GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS kicks off the new season on 11 April with a six-hour race at Circuit Paul Ricard. Ten race weekends are on the schedule, divided into five Sprint Cup and five Endurance Cup events. As in previous years, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport will once again be fielding a large and strong line-up in 2026 and is represented with Pro, Silver, and Bronze entries in three out of four classes. A total of ten Mercedes-AMG GT3s will compete in the Endurance Cup and six Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the Sprint Cup. In addition to the already established teams GetSpeed, Winward Racing and 2 Seas Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing, Grupo Prom Racing Team and 75 Express will also be competing in the GT World Challenge Europe this season with a Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Line-up Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, GT World Challenge Europe 2026*

Endurance-Cup

^* Subject to change at short notice.

Sprint-Cup

^* Subject to change at short notice.

"Our line-up for the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe season reflects the exceptionally high quality of our customer sports programme. With its sprint and endurance format, the series is extremely demanding, but we are ready to take on the challenge with a strong driver and team line-up. Our goal is to once again demonstrate the competitiveness of the Mercedes-AMG GT3, achieve top results in both classifications and compete for the title in both the individual classes and the overall standings."
Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing


FIA 3-star certificate: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport receives highest environmental certificate
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport has been awarded the prestigious FIA 3-star certificate by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The highest level of the Environmental Accreditation Programme confirms an established environmental management system in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard, clear responsibilities and structured monitoring with regular reviews. At the company's headquarters in Affalterbach, all motorsport activities are fully integrated into the certified system. The focus is on energy and water consumption, the expansion of photovoltaics, and the transparent recording and continuous reduction of CO₂ emissions. The FIA 3-star certificate is part of the Mercedes-Benz Group's overarching sustainability strategy and underlines its commitment to systematically implementing sustainability and measurably advancing environmental standards.

"The FIA 3-star certificate is confirmation of the consistent sustainability strategy pursued by Mercedes-AMG Motorsport and the entire Group. It shows that performance and responsibility are inextricably linked for us. My team has worked intensively on this over the past few months, underpinning our commitment to making motorsport at Mercedes-AMG more sustainable and future-oriented. For us, this award is therefore both recognition of what we have achieved so far and an incentive to continue consistently along the path we have chosen. There is undoubtedly still potential in the area of sustainability - so there is still a lot to do."
Christoph Sagemüller, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport


New marketing partner, first public appearance: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport and SPORTFIVE together at SPOBIS
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport has entrusted the marketing of GT Sports to SPORTFIVE, one of the world's leading sports marketing agencies. The first public appearance as part of the collaboration took place in early February at SPOBIS in Hamburg, Europe's largest sports business event. SPORTFIVE will strengthen commercial management in the future - from strategic positioning and partner acquisition to supporting existing sponsors. The aim is to further expand the international presence of GT Sport and attract new brands to one of the most successful customer racing programmes. With over 100 customer teams and around 2,000 race starts per year, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport offers the perfect platform for this.