Mercedes has confirmed the use of secret codes during Formula 1 races, a strategy that proved instrumental in Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s victory at the Spanish Grand Prix. Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes trackside engineering director, stated the team alters these codes weekly to prevent rival teams from deciphering their communications.
Antonelli’s win at the Spanish Grand Prix, held earlier this month, further extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
The decisive moment occurred when Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin retired from the race on lap 13 after sustaining floor damage from an opening-lap incident with Valtteri Bottas and developing brake issues.
Stroll’s car went off at Turn 20, triggering yellow flags and subsequently a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) deployment.
Antonelli’s race engineer, Peter Bonnington, communicated a coded message, alerting the driver to a potential VSC.
Antonelli responded by deliberately slowing through Turns 18 to 20, losing time but positioning himself to enter the pit lane immediately when the VSC was deployed.
This tactical manoeuvre allowed Antonelli to pit for fresh tyres under VSC conditions.
Race leader Lando Norris, by contrast, had already passed the pit entry when the VSC was called, forcing him to complete another lap before pitting.
Norris rejoined behind both Mercedes cars and Max Verstappen, losing the advantage he held.
There was a 35-second interval between the initial yellow flag and the VSC deployment, with Antonelli reaching his pit box just 15 seconds after the VSC call.
Mercedes had both sets of tyres prepared for Antonelli and George Russell, showcasing the team’s rapid response to the evolving race situation.
Shovlin, 52, has served as Mercedes’ trackside engineering director since 2011.
He previously worked as a race engineer for Jenson Button from 2004 to 2009 and for Michael Schumacher in 2010.
Shovlin is responsible for maximising the performance of both Mercedes cars during race weekends, coordinating with engineering teams at the Brackley factory.
Mercedes currently leads the 2026 Constructors’ Championship with 503 points after 14 rounds.
Ferrari holds second place with 358 points, followed by McLaren with 306 points.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the 2026 Drivers’ Championship with 292 points, an 81-point advantage over teammate George Russell, who has 211 points.
Antonelli has secured eight victories from the 14 races completed this season.
Earlier this year, Shovlin described the 2026 technical regulations, which include revised power units and active aerodynamics, as the ‘biggest project’ Mercedes had ever undertaken.
He anticipated increased reliability challenges across the field during the initial phase of the new regulations.
