Mercedes breaks tradition: the W16 will only be revealed during pre-season testing in Bahrain on February 26th.
For the team led by former Austrian driver Toto Wolff, 2025 will be a year full of intense changes, marking a new era in the history of Mercedes-AMG Petronas in Formula 1. The first major novelty is the return of an Italian to the top category – Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who had the chance to perform the first official tests of the year with the Brackley team at the Circuit de Jerez in Spain over the past two days, driving the W11 in a THC test with a “special and unprecedented camouflage livery” as reported by AutoRacer.This decision was made due to several of the team’s partnerships changing during the upcoming season.
Moreover, unlike Williams and Ferrari, both of which have chosen to host special events to unveil the colors they will race in starting from the Australian Grand Prix, Mercedes’ W16 will not be revealed at Silverstone as per tradition. During the event organized by Formula One Management at the O2 Arena in London on February 18, another mannequin car will be unveiled, meaning the public will have to wait until the first days of testing in Bahrain to see the new car. During those days, the team will also conduct its filming day, scheduled for February 25.
The historic German team ended last season in fourth place, securing four wins, including the emotional victory by Lewis Hamilton at his home circuit in Silverstone, and a double podium in Sin City – a result that had been missing since 2022 when the win was secured at Interlagos.
As mentioned, Mercedes – having concluded the 2024 season – will have to start over by analyzing what went wrong last year. The team will do so in its first season without seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, alongside several other changes within the team, including the promotion of Simone Resta to the role of Deputy Technical Director, where he will once again work alongside James Allison, just as he did at Ferrari. Previously, the Italian engineer had been the Strategic Development Director and Deputy Technical Director for the German team. Also worth mentioning is Enrico Sampò, who will strengthen the Brackley simulation department.
Both engineers had announced their move from Maranello to Brackley in March of last year, continuing the exchange between the two teams. Toto Wolff is working to assemble his deck in preparation for a showdown, which will likely involve Ferrari, Red Bull, and reigning champions McLaren. Now, it’s just a matter of waiting for the first lights to go out at Albert Park in two months.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, Kimi Antonelli.