The most anticipated team finally showed its cards: in the Free Practice sessions at the Australian GP, Mercedes revealed the potential already glimpsed in Bahrain during early-season testing. Never at the very top – with Ferrari leading FP1 and Piastri topping FP2 – the W17 nonetheless scared the competition, especially in race pace. On hard tires, the car appeared untouchable, with both Mercedes drivers able to lower the initial 1:24 average by nearly a full second.
Kimi Antonelli: “FP1 was tricky, focused mainly on battery usage”
Kimi Antonelli tried to temper expectations. The Bolognese driver described FP1 as “a rather difficult session, where the team had to concentrate mainly on battery usage. This left us with less time to work on the car’s setup, which had a lot of understeer.” This explanation sheds light on the team’s almost “anonymous” first practice session, where many suspected Mercedes was hiding the car’s true potential. That potential, however, became apparent – almost completely – in FP2. Antonelli commented: “In the second session, we achieved much better results. I can’t wait for the rest of the weekend, hoping to be among the front runners.”
Russell: “Not an easy start in Australia, but FP2 showed major progress”
George Russell mirrored his teammate’s experience. “FP1 was a rather complex session where we struggled to optimize battery recovery and usage. Overall, it wasn’t a very calm Friday.” What reassured the British driver was the performance leap in FP2: “The car showed a clear step forward that allowed us to complete a good number of laps. I think we are in a strong position for the rest of the weekend, but to fight for pole position, there’s still something more needed.”
Shovlin: “Friday ended on a satisfying note”
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ track operations director, also commented on the sessions: “The first session presented some power delivery issues that required several laps to resolve. The car balance wasn’t optimal for either driver.” Then came FP2: “In the afternoon, the engine began to perform as it should, and after some setup adjustments, the car responded much better. Our long runs proved to be solid, but there are still areas we need to investigate overnight to perform well in the race.”
Mercedes’ Friday in Melbourne was a classic tale of two halves, shifting from technical battery management struggles to a display of raw race pace that has undoubtedly caught the attention of Ferrari and Red Bull. While the Silver Arrows might still be searching for that final tenth to secure pole position, their long-run simulations suggest that the W17 could be the car to beat when the lights go out on Sunday.
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