Mercedes has endured a rocky road in recent years, and 2024 was no exception, marking their worst finish in the standings during the turbo hybrid era finishing in fourth place among the top four teams. Despite these struggles, the team clinched four wins and four poles, making it their best season since the ground effect era began in 2022.
After a challenging 2024, Mercedes is focused on 2025, the last year of the current regulations, and team principal Toto Wolff shared their goals and the obstacles ahead.
Looking ahead, Wolff remains cautiously hopeful about the prospects for Mercedes in 2025. He acknowledged the tight competition at the top and the challenges of managing a new driver lineup.
“I think there’s two ways to look at it. Obviously, 2025, the same regulations. You can see that the packing order varies depending on the track. And I think the opportunity is there to fight for victories. And if you can do that, you will fight for a championship,” said Wolff.
Next year, rookie Kimi Antonelli will take over from Lewis Hamilton as he moves to Ferrari. On the other hand, George Russell assumes the role of team leader. For Mercedes, 2025 promises to be a season of transition, with the team focusing on adapting to this significant change.
“It’s also going to be a year where George will settle in as the leading and senior driver, and Kimi is going to learn. Sometimes we will tear our hair out; other times we will see moments of brilliance. But it’s also a year of managing expectations for Kimi and preparing our driver lineup for 2026,” Wolff explained.
Wolff feels the grid is closer than ever and hopes Mercedes can consistently fight for wins
The 2025 grid is shaping up to be intense. The 2024 season had an uncertain pecking order, with the fastest team varying race by race. Red Bull started strong, but from the Miami GP onward, wins were split among the top four teams as McLaren’s update in the US changed the game.
The German outfit looked competitive on occasion, securing podiums and wins, but the W15’s performance remained inconsistent as Mercedes continued to struggle to understand their car.
Wolff reflected on the lessons learned and the targets for 2025.
“I think you can see that at least when you look at the wins this year, Red Bull’s year has been defined by the victories at the beginning of the year. But you will have those data better. If you look from half year, those four teams are pretty close.
“I think McLaren won six, Ferrari five, us four, and Red Bull, I don’t know. So, yeah, this is it. We’d love to be in the fight with the other teams. We’d love to compete for victories on merit. But it’s not a given. It’s absolutely something we need to fight for.”
As Mercedes prepares for 2025, the team is juggling two critical priorities; maximizing the potential of their current car and preparing for the sweeping regulation changes coming in 2026. 2025 will be a fresh chapter for the Silver Arrows, with two homegrown talents from their academy set to take the wheel.
