Mercedes W16 makes its debut on track for 2025 F1 season

27 Feb 2025, 05:18 PM

Mercedes have revealed the W16, their 2025 F1 car ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain as they begin a new chapter. Mercedes becomes the seventh team to reveal its car. Only Red Bull, Alpine, and Sauber have yet to unveil their new cars.

Moreover, the team has elected to break with usual tradition and not hold an annual shakedown at Silverstone, instead choosing not to run the new car until touching down in Bahrain.

Mercedes enter the new season with George Russell as its experienced driver, following Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.

Its teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli will partner Russell, representing the start of a new era for the team without Hamilton.

Notably, the W16 is the last car that Mercedes will design of this generation, with an all-new concept required for 2026, their focus this season has been on righting the wrongs of this car’s predecessors.

“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,” explains Technical Director, James Allison.

Mercedes are attempting to bring a more harmonious set of traits across the speed range, while staying with the W15’s general chassis geometry and suspension layout (still push-rod front and rear).

The gearbox is a carry-over unit from 2024, reflecting the fact that there are no changes in cockpit positioning or wheelbase (unlike in ’24 and unlike at Ferrari this year). The differences are all in the aerodynamic surfaces.

“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,” the team’s technical director James Allison explained.

The team explained it has changed “every aerodynamic surface” of the car for 2025, as well as designing a new front suspension.

The W16 features a new front suspension and further changes under the skin to “remedy” some of the challenging characteristics of its predecessor, the team have explained.
The front wing features a more evenly distributed chord height for the elements across their span, whilst the outer portion of the wing was also modified to improve its ability to generate outwash.
“Being the fourth year of these regulations on the chassis side, the cars are in the more mature phase,” Mercedes technical director James Allison said.

Chassis and PU

The 2025 season marks the fourth season of the current chassis regulations, and the 12th of the existing Power Unit regulations. For 2026, a major opportunity shines on the horizon.

“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 focused on making improvements in the areas that held us back last year,” explains Technical Director, James Allison.

“That focus has led to changes to nearly every visible aerodynamic surface, new front suspension, and further changes under the skin of the W16 to remedy some of the more challenging characteristics of its predecessor.” James adds: “We are pleased with our progress over the winter and we’re looking forward to finding out where we stack up against everyone else.”

Mercedes undergoes transformation

Mercedes ended 2024 in fourth place, their weakest position since 2012, and go into this season without seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton in their line-up following his Ferrari move. Instead George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli will turn out for Mercedes, with former racer Valtteri Bottas in a reserve role.

When asked how different the W16 will be from its predecessor, Russell told media :

“I think it’s going to be a significant change this year, to be honest. Mercedes won four races in 2024, two each for Russell and former team-mate Lewis Hamilton, the team’s first victories since 2022.

But the car’s performance was inconsistent and Mercedes finished fourth in the constructors’ championship behind McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull.

“We have been a lot more disciplined with every change we have made, and more thorough than ever in terms of the simulator running, just to ensure we’re not going to fall into a new trap.

“If we bring the performance we expect, it should be a good step forward. There are never guarantees. But I’m optimistic we can have a decent season.”

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