After making its debut yesterday, the Mercedes-AMG F1 W16 E PERFORMANCE completed its first laps in Bahrain today. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli took the wheel of the 2025 challenger, helping the team successfully complete 200 kilometers of testing.
Toto Wolff, Co-Owner, CEO, and Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, expressed his excitement for the upcoming season: “We’re entering an exciting new era for our team and Mercedes-AMG motorsport in 2025. We’re building on the incredible legacy of our history, and we can’t wait to get racing.”
He continued, “Everyone at the team, both in Brackley and Brixworth, has worked tirelessly over the winter. Last season was fiercely competitive on track, and while we secured several victories, our focus is on consistently challenging for wins. We’ve made progress in the off-season, but we won’t truly know where we stand until the first race in Australia.”
“We have an exciting driver line-up to help us achieve our goals. Both drivers have come through our junior program, which speaks to our commitment to nurturing and developing talent. George has proven himself as one of the best on the grid, capable of competing for the Drivers’ Championship if we can provide him with a competitive car. As the senior driver, he will lead the team and help Kimi in his development. Kimi has the talent to achieve great things in Formula 1, but as a rookie, there will be a learning curve. We look forward to that journey and supporting him throughout the year,” added Wolff.
New Line-Up
Reflecting on the upcoming season, George Russell shared, “I feel that last year was my strongest in Formula 1. This will be my seventh season in the sport, and my fourth with Mercedes, and I’m committed to improving year after year. The team is incredibly motivated to build on last season’s performance, and there’s a great energy at both the Brackley and Brixworth factories. I’m excited to get on track.”
He also welcomed Kimi Antonelli to the team: “It’s exciting to have a new teammate in Kimi. He’s incredibly fast, and I think we’ll make a great partnership. Of course, there’s a lot for him to learn in his first season, but I look forward to helping him do that and working together to push the team forward.”
Kimi Antonelli, who has quickly risen through the junior ranks, said, “I’m excited to make my F1 debut this season. It’s a fantastic opportunity, and I’m grateful to everyone at Mercedes for the trust they’ve placed in me. I’ve been working hard over the winter to be as ready as possible, and I can’t wait to get started.”
He added, “My focus is on continuing to learn, being consistent, and doing the best job I can for the team. I’m really looking forward to working with George; we’re already building a strong partnership, and it’s great to have the support of someone who has come through the junior program as well. He’s an incredibly strong driver, and together I think we’ll make a formidable duo.”
Supporting the team is a strong trio of reserve drivers: Valtteri Bottas and Fred Vesti. Valtteri, who returns to the team after five Constructors’ Championships with Mercedes between 2017 and 2021, said, “I’m thrilled to be back with Mercedes. It feels like home. I’m excited to help the team both on and off the track. As Third Driver, I’ll be at every Grand Prix offering support and will also help develop the car in the simulator. I can’t wait to get started.”
Fred Vesti, who continues as Reserve Driver, added, “I’m excited to return for another year with the team. Mercedes is like family to me, and I’m looking forward to working with George, Kimi, Valtteri, and the entire team to develop the car and drive the team forward.”
Chassis and Power Unit
The 2025 season marks the fourth year of the current chassis regulations and the 12th year of the existing Power Unit regulations. Looking ahead to 2026, the team is preparing for a major reset in the regulations.
James Allison, Technical Director, explained, “After four years of these chassis regulations, the cars have entered a more mature phase. Major lap-time gains are harder to come by, but we’ve focused on addressing the issues that held us back last year.”
He continued, “We’ve made changes to every aerodynamic surface, redesigned the front suspension, and implemented further changes beneath the skin of the W16 to correct some of the more challenging traits of its predecessor. We’re pleased with our progress and eager to see how we compare to the competition.”
While Power Unit development is frozen, Hywel Thomas, Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, emphasized, “We’ve been focusing on reliability and calibration upgrades to improve robustness and extract the last bits of performance from the Power Unit. We’ve made good progress, and we hope that will translate into better performance on track.”
With 2025 being the final year for the current generation of Power Units, Thomas reflected, “It’s the end of an era. The success we’ve achieved since 2014 is the result of the hard work of many talented people, and I’m proud to have been a part of it. We’re determined to end this chapter on a high note and build on our success as the Mercedes works team.”
Looking ahead to the challenges of 2026, James Allison added, “The upcoming regulation changes represent one of the largest shifts in the sport’s history. It’s a challenge, but we’re excited about it. We’re working closely between Brackley and Brixworth to be as competitive as we can this year while laying the foundation for success next year.”
Hywel Thomas also spoke about the future: “The 2026 regulation change is a significant challenge, but one we’re embracing. The work on sustainable fuels is particularly exciting, and our partnership with PETRONAS is vital in this area. It’s a huge project, and we’re focused on maximizing the opportunities it presents.”
Expectations
Toto Wolff concluded, “This will be an incredibly competitive season. Last year, the field was incredibly tight, and it could be even closer this year. We’ll need to be at our absolute best to challenge for the championships.”
James Allison echoed this sentiment: “The cars are converging in performance, and there will likely be multiple winners. We might even see more teams taking victories than we did last year.”
Hywel Thomas added, “Lap-time gains are smaller at this stage in the regulations, but every little bit counts. As we saw last year, qualifying times were incredibly close. Finding those small margins—10 or 20 milliseconds—can make the difference between pole position and starting further down the grid. We’ll continue pushing for those gains, and hopefully, we’ll be in the championship fight come Abu Dhabi.”