Mercedes made the most of the five-week Formula 1 break before the Miami GP. The team’s reserve driver, Fred Vesti, stated that he completed about 1,000 laps on the simulator during the period, in an intense preparation to maintain the team’s dominance in the 2026 season.
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This long break between the Japan and Miami GPs gave teams a rare opportunity to return to their factories and reorganize their development programs. In Mercedes’ case, the work in Brackley was heavy, especially with Vesti’s direct involvement in the simulator.
The Dane said he returned immediately to the team’s headquarters after the weekend in Miami to continue the virtual work: “It was close to a thousand laps before Miami. And also after. I flew straight back to Brackley, straight to the simulator,” he said on the Mercedes Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show.
Besides the technical work, Vesti also praised the environment created by Formula 1 in Miami. According to him, the event’s growth in recent years caught attention due to the number of fans and the structure set up at Hard Rock Stadium: “Honestly, I was impressed with how cool the event was. I was there a few years ago and seeing how much it has grown in that time really surprised me. There were many fans,” he said.
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Vesti also highlighted the quality of the race held in Miami, pointing to the GP as one of the best of the current season so far: “The show being put on is very cool. And the race itself was a great Formula 1 test. Probably the best of the year so far in terms of close battles. The strategy was also very interesting,” he added.
While several teams introduced updates in Miami, Mercedes chose to focus technical novelties for the Canadian GP, scheduled for the end of May. The German team is experiencing a dominant start to the 2026 season, winning all the races held so far.
George Russell won the Australian GP and the Sprint race in China, while Kimi Antonelli secured three consecutive wins at the China, Japan, and Miami GPs. The nineteen-year-old Italian became the youngest driver to lead the championship and now holds a twenty-point lead over his teammate in the Formula 1 standings.
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