Mercedes is aiming for the podium in Qatar. This is the clear goal for the team at Losail, where the squad currently second in the Constructors’ Championship wants to deliver a strong performance. Maximizing attention to the setup will be crucial, addressing technical objectives that remained unresolved last year. Kimi Antonelli’s excellent form and Russell’s consistency must be harnessed effectively to achieve the team’s targets. Only through this combined effort can the projected goals be reached.
Qatar GP: learning from 2024’s limitations to avoid past mistakes
Mercedes is experiencing a period of strong growth. The Brackley team managed to unlock significant performance after the summer break by expanding and shifting the operating window of the W16—a task they accomplished successfully. Since then, the German car has appeared less sensitive to track conditions. In 2024, the team struggled with excessive tire temperatures that limited performance.
For Toto Wolff’s team, Qatar represents an important challenge. Asphalt temperatures are not extreme due to the night race, but tire stress is very high. The surface provides significant grip that increases continuously across sessions. This generates substantial energy through the tire carcass, a factor that must be carefully managed.
From a thermal standpoint, this weekend will be a decisive test. Looking back at last year, the two W15s found decent grip in both high-speed corners and tighter sections of the track, showing potential for this type of circuit. However, much of this potential remained untapped for technical reasons.
Mercedes was unable to make the final step forward in setup, where engineers and drivers could not fully exploit the track’s grip. In some sections, performance was not extracted, unlike other teams that optimized their setup to maximize specific corners. This will be a crucial point during the upcoming sprint weekend at Losail.
It was almost as if the W15s had a “speed limiter” on cornering, an unresolved headache whose origin was unclear even to the cluster of engineers led by Andrew Shovlin. This scenario must obviously be avoided this time. Teams like Red Bull and McLaren have highly stable aerodynamic platforms that allow them to generate significant grip through high-speed sections.
Clear objectives for the final two rounds of the championship
With these points clarified, Mercedes’ track engineering director Andrew Shovlin confirmed the team’s goals for the penultimate race weekend of the 2025 season, explaining that the squad expects to secure additional podiums in the final two events. This is an ambitious but achievable target if the team can bring everything together correctly.
That said, when considering the current season realistically, even with Mercedes’ good adaptation to the circuit last year, the leading cars are now much closer in performance, making the margin for error extremely small. This emphasizes the importance of the previously mentioned setup and flawless execution throughout the weekend.
Unified approach: the drivers’ contribution to Mercedes’ cause
A few words about the drivers. Kimi Antonelli is on a strong upward trajectory. During yesterday’s press conference, he explained how his preparation and approach to the race weekend have made significant progress. His technical and tactical awareness allows him to understand and apply lessons learned in this first learning season. His personal goal is clear: continue his growth and outperform Russell.
His British teammate, George Russell, demonstrates remarkable consistency, making very few mistakes and always being present when key opportunities arise. Beyond individual performances, a collective team effort is essential, because besides McLaren and Red Bull competing for the Drivers’ Championship, Ferrari could also assert itself as a genuine direct contender depending on how the weekend unfolds.
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