Mercedes has unveiled its new W16 F1 car for the 2025 season, ushering in a fresh era for the team with George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli leading the charge. The digital launch on Monday marked the beginning of this new chapter, following the departure of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Eighteen-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli, who replaces Hamilton in the lineup, joins Russell, who embarks on his seventh season in Formula 1. Experienced reserve driver and former Mercedes racer Valtteri Bottas also returns to the team. Hamilton, now 40, has moved to Ferrari.
Team principal Toto Wolff declared, “We are opening an exciting new era in the story of our team and Mercedes-AMG motorsport in 2025. Building on the incredible legacy of our heritage, we can’t wait to get racing.” Wolff acknowledged that while the team has made improvements in the off-season, the true measure of their progress will only be revealed during the first race in Australia.
Russell, the “senior driver” of the team, will help lead the team’s efforts forward, while Antonelli prepares for his rookie season, which Wolff noted would have its fair share of challenges. “There will inevitably be ups and downs,” Wolff said.
Mercedes, who dominated the sport with a record eight consecutive constructors’ championships from 2014 to 2021, finished fourth in last year’s standings.
Technical director James Allison discussed the team’s focus on improving their car’s performance after last season’s setbacks. While the stable regulations on the chassis side have made it more challenging to find significant lap time gains, he highlighted that the team concentrated on refining areas that hindered performance in 2024.
“Our primary focus has been dialing out the W15’s slight reluctance to turn in slow corners, along with the imbalance in tyre temperatures that caused inconsistency from session to session,” Allison explained. “We are pleased with our progress over the winter and look forward to seeing where we stand against the competition.”
Allison also predicted that the upcoming season could see multiple race winners, potentially surpassing the four teams and seven drivers who won races last year.
The season kicks off on March 16 in Australia, with Mercedes-powered McLaren aiming to defend their constructors’ title, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen seeks a historic fifth consecutive drivers’ championship.
