With the Formula One season set to begin this weekend in Melbourne, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has predicted that his outfit will be outperformed by the top three teams of the 2024 season in the initial races. This includes Ferrari, where former Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will be driving the SF-25.
Mercedes’ journey in the current ground effect era, which began in 2022, has been a challenging one, as the team struggled to develop a car that was fast, consistent, and easy to drive for its drivers. The era prior saw Mercedes dominate with Hamilton, a partnership that celebrated six drivers’ titles and eight constructors’ championships.
However, the challenges with Mercedes’ ground effect cars, Hamilton’s long-time wish to race for Ferrari, and his quest for the eighth title led him to part ways with Mercedes. With McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull finishing in the same order in the championship last year, Wolff noted that the three teams are expected to showcase superior performance in the early races of the 2025 season.
While Mercedes has made key changes to the W16 F1 car for this year, and with both drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli offering positive feedback during pre-season testing in Bahrain last month, Wolff suggested that the upcoming Australian GP would offer a clear picture of where his team stands on the grid. He said:
“As a team, we had an uphill challenge over the winter.
“Our competitors finished 2024 strongly and we know that Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren in particular, should have a performance advantage over us initially.
“We can be pleased with the work we have done in the off-season, and the test in Bahrain. Both drivers commented favourably on the W16 after the three days, and we seem to have made improvements.
“Of course, the only thing that matters is how we measure up against the stopwatch relative to our competitors. We will certainly begin to get a clearer picture on that this weekend.
“Australia is always a great place for a race. The circuit is challenging for the drivers and a real test for the car. The fans are always out in force and Melbourne is a fantastic venue to kick off the new season.”
The 2025 season marks the post-Lewis Hamilton era for Mercedes and the beginning of a new chapter with rookie driver Kimi Antonelli. However, with F1 teams having to focus on the constant development of the 2025 car alongside the 2026 car, the year when the sport enters a new era of regulations, it remains to be seen how Mercedes will balance the development of both cars while trying its best to compete for podiums.
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