Wolff expects Mercedes to fall behind at start of season: 'Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren should have an advantage over us'

The after-Hamilton start now for MercedesThe German team is preparing to enter a new era following the departure of its iconic driver to Ferrari. For the first time since 2012, the Silver Arrows will have to do without the seven-time world champion this season. To replace the irreplaceable, Mercedes will rely on George Russell, who needs no introduction, and the very young Andrea Kimi Antonelli, only 18 years old, announced as a world champion in the making by many. A promising duo to write a new page in the history of the eight-time world champion team.

"We will write the first lines of our new chapter at the Australian Grand Prix, underlines the Team Principal of the German team. It’s an exciting time as we build on the incredible heritage of the Mercedes brand in motorsport. We will strive to set new benchmarks and realise new dreams in the years to come. To do this, we will need to get involved from all of us: the drivers, the mechanics, the engineers, everyone who works in Brackley and Brixworth and, of course, our fans. (…) With George and Kimi, two local talents from our junior programme, we have a strong driver line-up that combines experience, youth and raw speed. They are an exciting pairing that will take us into a new era.”

Personalized "positive comments" Drivers on the Mercedes W16

Fourth in the Constructors' World Championship last year, with four wins under its belt (two for Hamilton, two for Russell), Mercedes is aiming even higher this season despite the departure of its champion, Lewis Hamilton. During the winter tests organized in Bahrain last February, the W16 showed its advantage with an interesting pace, both on the flying lap and on the long runs. In order to progress in the hierarchy, Mercedes will have to find a consistency that it sorely lacked in 2025, with its performances inconsistent. According to Toto wolff, his team could be slightly behind in the first rounds of the season, the time to find the right settings on the W16.

"We faced a major challenge over the winter. Our competitors finished 2024 strongly and we know that Ferrari, Red Bull et McLaren in particular should have a performance advantage over us initially, recognizes the Austrian leader. We can be satisfied with the work done during the off-season and during testing in Bahrain. Both drivers gave positive feedback on the W16 after the three days [of testing] and we seem to have made improvements. Of course, the only thing that matters is where we are on the clock compared to our competitors. We will certainly have a clearer picture of the situation this weekend.

With George Russell leading and Andrea Kimi Antonelli learning, Mercedes hopes to establish itself permanently at the top of the timesheets at the end of the first rounds of the season. The real level of the W16 will be revealed this Saturday during the qualifying of the Australian GP, ​​which will be followed live with commentary on AUTOhebdo.

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