For Mercedes the start of the season has been better than expected, both for the team itself and for experts in F1. Without making a fuss, they have achieved two podium finishes and are convinced that catching up with McLaren is a real possibility and that they can fight for the championship.
Mercedes surprises at the start of the World Championship
Before the start of the new season, Mercedes was in the background while McLaren and Ferrari were taking all the limelight after the pre-season tests. After the first two races, the Brackley squad has shown that it is capable of exceeding its best expectations with the W16, with a car that is stable and predictable in changing track and wind conditions, an improvement on previous years.
George Russell has achieved two podiums in a row and is third in the Drivers’ Championship standings. His performance has McLaren worried and the team is convinced that he can continue to progress and cause more headaches for Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Mercedes confident of closing the gap
The 2025 season will have limited resources, as the entire grid is focused on the 2026 regulations. This evolution of the regulations will mean that the improvements that the teams introduce during the first months of the year will be of significant value as they will determine performance during the year. Mercedes has found a solid foundation in the W16. Unlike Red Bull and Ferrari, which still have doubts about how it will develop during the year, Mercedes has solved many of the team’s weaknesses on its return, presenting a competitive car from the start.
After the Chinese Grand Prix Toto Wolff was convinced that they could catch up with McLaren. “Today they had a lead of maybe two tenths over us. Considering that on Friday our car wasn’t working at all, we’ve taken a good step forward. Two or even three tenths can be recovered”.
The team has decided to continue with the same momentum and in line with its objective of continuing to reduce the distance with its rivals from Woking in the following races.
The key to Mercedes’ success
Mercedes has confidence in both of its drivers, while in the Red Bull team only Max Verstappen has scored points. In the Brackley team, they have two competitive drivers who are achieving consistent results.
George Russell manages to extract 100% of the capacity and performance from a Mercedes that seems to have no problems at the moment and Kimi Antonelli continues to progress. In fact, in China he finished in sixth position after Ferrari were excluded, a result that is undoubtedly more commendable than it seems. There is still a story to tell because Antonelli competed with damage to the floor of his car from a piece of debris on the first lap of the race.
Toto Wolff praised Antonelli‘s attitude: “Kimi suffered damage to the floor of the car on the first lap, which affected his performance. Despite this, he didn’t complain and stayed focused on his job, and that’s exactly what we want to see,” explained the Mercedes boss.
With Russell at his best and Antonelli still in a phase of very rapid adaptation to the race car, the team is confident that its drivers can get into the fight and continue to build their pace. It’s true that McLaren is faster right now, but in Brackley they are fully aware that they can get close to that and continue to get into the championship fight.