It was a complicated season for the Silver Arrows, marked by flashes of speed alternated with disappointing results, yet ultimately ending with second place in the constructors’ championship.
With an exceptional driver like George Russell and a very young and extremely fast rookie such as Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ 2025 campaign initially looked highly promising. Despite finishing second in the standings at the end of the season and securing two race victories, the team was rarely the main topic of discussion throughout the year. Strong results alternating with very disappointing weekends prevented the team members from standing out as much as they would have liked.
2026 will represent a year of radical change for Formula 1, and Mercedes could emerge as one of the protagonists according to recent rumours surrounding its power unit. In any case, the launchpad that 2025 was supposed to represent did not turn out to be as impressive as many had expected.
A season of highs and lows
The gamble taken by team principal Toto Wolff in signing the young eighteen-year-old Italian paid off immediately at the opening round in Australia, where Kimi Antonelli finished fourth, just behind his team-mate. The first races of the season then became more of a learning and alignment phase for Kimi Antonelli, while George Russell surprised on several occasions, such as during his battles with the McLarens in China.
As the season progressed, it became clear that the car designed by the technical group led by James Allison, the W16, was extremely quick in cool conditions and with limited tyre degradation. The most striking example was George Russell’s incredible victory in Montréal, which was accompanied by Kimi Antonelli’s first career podium in third place. However, this did not put an end to the questions surrounding the car.
By mid-season, the Mercedes situation appeared confused. The car was extremely unpredictable from one weekend to the next, compounded by some reliability issues, such as those seen at Imola and Barcelona. Rookie mistakes from the Italian driver were inevitable, including the incident in Austria where he hit Max Verstappen on the opening lap. A few podium finishes did arrive for Russell. The British driver endured only one truly disastrous weekend, in Monaco, while the rest of his season was outstanding. In particular, the victory in Singapore completed the team’s pair of wins in 2025, despite conditions that were far from favourable for the car.
After Singapore, Kimi Antonelli recovered from his mid-season slump, while Russell began to feel a slight increase in pressure. A clear example of this was the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. At the season finale in Abu Dhabi, both Mercedes cars were a long way from the podium: Russell performed solidly but finished well behind Charles Leclerc in fourth place, while Antonelli was deep in the pack. It was not a strong way for the Brackley-based team to close out the year.
Final assessments
Second place in the championship represents an excellent achievement considering the untouchable McLarens. The financial bonus received will also be extremely important heading into 2026, and George Russell’s two victories were the only non-McLaren or Max Verstappen wins of the entire 2025 season. Results did arrive, but in a highly unpredictable and non-linear fashion. The W16 was certainly not as consistent as some previous Mercedes cars, and this prevented the team from being at the centre of attention in the way McLaren and Red Bull were.
2025 can therefore be considered a transitional year for the Three-Pointed Star, and it was far from perfect. A championship campaign deserving of a decent, but not outstanding, grade. Even though the team flew somewhat under the radar, Mercedes was still able to say “we are here” on numerous occasions. That, however, is not enough when your name is Mercedes. The real test will come in 2026, especially if the team starts the new era with the weight of expectations on its shoulders.
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