Mercedes could equal the historic Formula 1 podium record established by Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in 2014 at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix. Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have already secured at least one podium finish for the team in each of the opening 18 races of the 2026 season, leaving them just one Grand Prix away from matching a remarkable achievement from the first year of the turbo-hybrid era.
Mercedes will inevitably be in the spotlight in Mexico because Andrea Kimi Antonelli could also secure the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship. Such an achievement would be historic for Italy and the sport as a whole, with the young driver from Bologna set to become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. However, a potential coronation for the Mercedes youngster is not the only significant milestone the team could celebrate this weekend.
Mercedes could equal historic F1 podium record in Mexico
If either Andrea Kimi Antonelli or George Russell finishes on the podium in Mexico, Mercedes will equal the all-time record for consecutive Grands Prix with at least one podium finish from the beginning of a season. The Brackley-based team has achieved that result in all 18 races contested so far in 2026, with at least one of its drivers finishing in the top three on every occasion.
Thanks to Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, the Mercedes pairing has already equalled the achievement of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, who secured 18 consecutive races with at least one Ferrari podium from the start of the 2004 championship.
The outright record, however, stands at 19 consecutive races and already belongs to Mercedes. A podium finish in Mexico would therefore allow the team’s current pairing to match a record established by two of the most successful drivers in its history.
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg established the record in 2014
The benchmark was set during the 2014 Formula 1 season, the first year of the turbo-hybrid regulations, when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg dominated the championship for Mercedes. Despite their intense rivalry, the two drivers ensured that at least one Mercedes finished on the podium at every Grand Prix that year.
The result was an extraordinary sequence of 19 consecutive races with at least one podium finish, a record that has stood for 12 years. Now Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have the opportunity to reproduce that achievement as Mercedes continues its impressive 2026 campaign.
Regardless of what is eventually decided concerning the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, the current Mercedes pairing could still surpass the record before the end of the 2026 season. The immediate objective, however, is to equal it, and Mexico would provide the perfect opportunity to take that first step.
More news about Mercedes and Andrea Kimi Antonelli
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli reveals how Peter Bonnington helped deliver his Austin F1 victory
- George Russell admits to 50 difficult laps as Andrea Kimi Antonelli dominates Austin
- Toto Wolff explains George Russell’s struggles against Andrea Kimi Antonelli
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