Home F1 Mercedes showcases 2025 F1 car ahead of Bahrain shakedown

Mercedes showcases 2025 F1 car ahead of Bahrain shakedown

24/02/2025

Mercedes has showcased its 2025 F1 challenger – the W16 – in an online launch, after the livery was revealed during the group launch ceremony.

Mercedes has joined several others in an online launch of its 2025 F1 car after the livery was revealed last week during the group launch ceremony at O2 arena in London. The colours is a mix of black, silver grey and Petronas green, with some changes also made to the car to combat the issues faced last year.

The front suspension has changes made along with the nose and things under the skin to improve aerdymanics. The main idea is to improve the consistency of the car from one session to another, which they faced last year. With Andrea Kimi Antonelli in, they will get a new pair of hand alongside George Russell to explore.

With the launch done and dusted, the drivers will get their first taste of the W16 machinery in Bahrain on Tuesday in a shakedown/filming run. “We open an exciting new era in the story of our team and Mercedes-AMG motorsport in 2025,” said Toto Wolff. “We are building on the incredible legacy of our heritage, and we can’t wait to go racing. Everyone at the team, in Brackley and Brixworth, has been hard at work over the winter.

“Last season was incredibly competitive on the track and, whilst we took several wins, we are all focused on challenging for victories more consistently. We have made gains in the off-season, but we will only know where we stand come the first race in Australia. We have an exciting line-up to help us achieve our objectives. Both drivers have progressed through our junior programme and that is a vindication of our commitment to both supporting and developing talent.

“George has proven that he is one of the very best drivers on the grid, capable of competing for the Drivers’ Championship if we can give him a car capable of doing so. As the senior driver, he will help lead the team forward and support Kimi in his development. Kimi has all the necessary talent to achieve great things at the pinnacle of the sport, but this is a rookie season and there will inevitably be ups and downs. We’re looking forward to that journey together though and helping him develop over the course of the year.”

On the driver side, Russell said: “I feel like last year was my strongest in F1. This coming season will be my seventh in the sport, and fourth with the works Mercedes team, and I’m working hard to improve year-on-year. As a team, we are incredibly motivated to improve on last season. There is a great energy within the factories at Brackley and Brixworth so I’m eager to take to the track. It’s also exciting having a new team-mate in Kimi this year. He’s incredibly quick and I think we will make a great partnership. Naturally, there is a lot for him to learn in his first season but I’m looking forward to helping him do that and working together to help push the team forward.”

Antonelli stated: “I’m excited to make my debut in F1 this year. It is a great opportunity, and I am very thankful to everyone at Mercedes for the faith and trust they’ve placed in me. I’ve been working hard over the winter to be as ready as I can possibly be and now, I can’t wait to get started. My focus is on continuing to learn, being consistent, and doing the best job I can for the team. I’m looking forward to working with George; we’re already gelling well and it’s great to have the support of someone who has come through the junior programme too. He is an incredibly strong driver and together I think we will make a great duo.”

Others speak –

Valtteri Bottas: “I couldn’t be happier to be back with Mercedes. It feels like I’m home. It’s been great to catch up with former colleagues and I’m really looking forward to helping the team both on and off the track. As Third Driver, I will be at every Grand Prix providing support and that extra set of eyes. I will also be at the factory helping develop the car in the simulator too. I can’t wait to get started.”

Frederik Vesti: “It’s great to return for another year as Reserve Driver. I’ve been a part of the Mercedes team for several years now and it really is my family. I’m looking forward to working with George, Kimi, Valtteri, and the wider team to help develop the car and push the team forward.”

James Allison: “Being the fourth year of these regulations on the chassis side, the cars are in the more mature phase. Big gains in lap time are harder to come by but we’ve been concentrating on making improvements in the areas that held us back last year. Our primary focus has been on dialling out the W15’s slight reluctance to turn in slow corners, along with the imbalance in tyre temperatures that made the car inconsistent from session to session. We are pleased with our progress over the winter and we’re looking forward to finding out where we stack up against everyone else. It’s one of the largest regulation changes in the sport’s history. Every team must decide where to spend their resource to both compete on track this year and set themselves up for 2026 and beyond. We’re excited for that challenge and working hand-in-hand between Brackley and Brixworth to be as competitive as we can be this year and build for success next year.”

Hywel Thomas: “We have been looking at reliability updates, and some calibration upgrades, to deliver robustness, squeeze the last little bits of performance out of the Power Unit and give ourselves the best opportunity this season. We’ve made good progress and hopefully that can add performance on track. It’s definitely the end of an era. The success we have achieved since 2014 was only possible through the hard work of a huge group of talented people. It makes you proud to have been a part of that team. We would love to end such an incredible chapter by adding to our success as the Mercedes works team, and everyone is focused on doing that. The 2026 regulation change is a big challenge but one that we’re enjoying. It’s an exciting evolution, particularly the work on sustainable fuels. Our partnership with PETRONAS, and their expertise, is key for that area. It’s a huge project and we’re working hard to maximise the opportunity in front of us.”