If there is one major strength of the Mercedes W16, it is undoubtedly its ability to extract performance from the Soft tyres and deliver its best particularly in qualifying — especially, so far, in the hands of George Russell.
This weekend marks the Monaco Grand Prix, the track that is arguably the ideal stage for cars and drivers with strong single-lap speed, given the tight, winding nature of the city streets. As is well known: overtaking in Monte Carlo is virtually impossible. Even more so with the current generation of cars, which are extremely long and wide. Only a desperate attempt combined with a lapse in defensive driving tends to result in position changes during the race.
George Russell is well aware of the strengths of his 2025 car. That’s why he is hopeful of making the most of it on Saturday. A good qualifying performance can make Sunday’s race significantly easier to manage. However, this year there is the long-standing constraint of two mandatory pit stops, a change designed to make a race — often seen as a dull procession — less predictable for the fans.
“We’re really looking forward to this weekend because we know that qualifying has been our strength so far. We’ve missed pole by a tenth on multiple occasions, but we haven’t been able to convert that into a result on Sunday,” said Russell.
“This time it’s going to be all about a two-stop strategy. It’ll be interesting to see how that changes things, because in the past it’s always been about qualifying. That was the decisive factor. If you were in front, you could manage the gap to the cars behind. You could also look after the tyres and bring them home. I don’t think this weekend will be like that. So race pace won’t be irrelevant. We know that hasn’t been our strength — at least so far.”
With two mandatory stops in play, tyre choice at the start of the race will be crucial. George Russell has considered all available options and sees the Soft tyre as the ideal compound for the early laps, especially if a Safety Car or red flag is triggered in the opening stages.
“I think tyre choice at the start will be interesting. Starting on the Hard is probably best. But at the start, if you’re on the Soft and there’s a red flag or Safety Car in the first five laps, it gives you a huge advantage. So it’s not clear-cut.”
“And since that kind of advantage can appear, if a Safety Car ends up benefitting some cars, others will be forced to push hard to make up ground. Whereas in the past, like last year, Charles Leclerc managed the gap to me so that Norris and the others wouldn’t pit. And that turned out to be one of the most exciting races I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to see how this one plays out.”
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