After Ferrari and Williams, another team has announced the presentation date for its 2025 car: Mercedes. The Brackley team will unveil the W16, the car for the upcoming season, on Monday, February 24, thus beginning to fill a calendar that, up until now, has included only three dedicated presentations due to the shared livery launch scheduled for February 18 in London.
While Williams will be the only team to present its new car before February 18, necessitating a launch with a provisional livery, both Mercedes and Ferrari have chosen a different approach.
Both the Silver Arrows and the Prancing Horse will initially showcase their livery on February 18, alongside all other teams at the joint event at London’s O2 Arena, using an old car or a show car. They will then reveal the actual car designs in the days following. As Toto Wolff has confirmed, the W16’s livery is expected to feature black again, both to continue the message championed by Lewis Hamilton and for weight considerations.
For Mercedes, the presentation will be entirely online, ahead of the car’s first outing the next day, Tuesday, February 25, directly on the Bahrain track for a shakedown before pre-season testing begins.
The pre-season tests will take place at Sakhir from February 26 to 28, three weeks before the season opener with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park. Mercedes finished fourth in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship and, although it returned to winning after a lackluster 2023, the W15 struggled with an overly narrow setup window, particularly concerning ride heights and tire management, which led to overheating of the rear tires.
Following Lewis Hamilton’s departure, Mercedes will feature a new driver lineup, consisting of George Russell, the link to the past, and the exciting newcomer Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian making his debut as an official driver this year.
The Italian, who impressed in junior categories by winning numerous championships, will make the leap directly from Formula 2 to a top Formula 1 team. Last year, Kimi Antonelli already had the opportunity to test F1 cars during private sessions organized by Mercedes. His skills, particularly during tests conducted after the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, convinced the Silver Arrows to bet on him.
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