The fifth F1 Grand Prix of 2025 ended in a disappointing way for Mercedes. The Brackley team, after an excellent race in Bahrain and strong qualifying performances from Russell and Antonelli on Saturday, expected at least a podium finish, taking advantage of Ferrari’s and Norris’s difficulties. None of that happened, partly because the W16 struggled with tyre management, a key topic in this first part of the World Championship season.
Russell helpless against Leclerc and Norris
The Brit was hoping for his fourth podium of the season, but hadn’t accounted for a car that clearly didn’t suit the characteristics of the Jeddah circuit. This season’s Pirelli tyres are playing an even greater role than expected, and management is crucial when gaps between teams are so small.
Starting third, George Russell believed that if Max Verstappen got ahead of Piastri, the race would be open. That held true for a while, but he couldn’t keep pace with the top two, and in the final stint—especially after a stellar pace by Leclerc on mediums before his pit stop—he had to settle for fifth, overtaken even by Lando Norris.
“It was a race entirely focused on tyre management,” Russell explained, “but unfortunately we struggled with overheating throughout. I tried to push at the start of the second stint to stay with Verstappen, but quickly realised it wasn’t sustainable. Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris had more margin, overtook me easily, and from there my tyres dropped off quickly. At that point, I just focused on finishing without taking risks.”
“This wasn’t our best weekend in terms of pace, and even with a different strategy, the result wouldn’t have changed much. Tyre overheating is a clear limitation and the team is working to fix it. When things don’t go our way, we must accept it and learn. We’re staying focused and determined to make real progress starting with the next races.”
Kimi’s learning curve
Kimi Antonelli’s race was straightforward: after a poor result in Bahrain, despite a strong performance and some memorable overtakes, the young Bologna native returned solidly to the points zone, even managing to “play” with Lewis Hamilton in a back-and-forth that Kimi won without much difficulty—also benefiting from Hamilton’s still-developing adaptation to the Ferrari.
Mercedes struggled with tyre management, and the 18-year-old also suffered from it, perhaps more so than his teammate, still being in an early phase of his learning curve. Despite a tough Sunday, the Italian F1 prospect handled himself well on a circuit that’s tough for any rookie. The future is entirely on his side.
“It was a tough race, but overall the result is positive,” Kimi commented. “I had a lot of understeer in the first stint on mediums, and front tyre wear compromised the early pace. After the pit stop, the car responded better on hards, and the pace was good in the final laps. I had to keep an eye on tyre temperatures all race long—definitely a critical aspect from start to finish.”
“Despite the difficulties, I take away some good insights. This first set of races has been intense and full of lessons. There’s still a lot to improve, but I’m highly motivated and want to grow starting in Miami. Communication with the team is strong; everyone’s working hard to move forward and build on what we’ve done so far.”
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