Although several weeks remain until the start of the season, Mercedes is already deep into preparations for 2025. This also allows Andrea Kimi Antonelli to continue his journey toward his highly anticipated debut in Australia.
The 2025 season is particularly significant for Mercedes. After three years of underwhelming results with ground-effect cars, the team is determined to close this technical cycle on a high note while simultaneously preparing for the complete regulatory overhaul in 2026, which offers a fresh start.
The 2025 car, set to skip an official launch and instead debut during a filming day before pre-season testing, has multiple development objectives. One key focus is maximizing the downforce generated by the floor while minimizing bouncing—a persistent issue that hampered the W15, especially on bumpy tracks. These challenges often forced Mercedes to raise the car’s ride height.
“We’ve made progress, but Formula 1 development is about solving problems faster than your competitors. That’s how you get ahead,” explained Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director.
The 2024 car often proved tricky for the drivers, with Lewis Hamilton particularly struggling to find confidence in medium- and high-speed sections, especially during qualifying. This instability is a key area of focus for the W16, with the aim of delivering a more predictable and driver-friendly car for both George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Despite its issues, the 2024 car excelled in qualifying thanks to its ability to quickly heat up the tires. However, over race distances, excessive degradation became a major hindrance. Victories and standout performances typically came during cooler weekends or on tracks with reduced thermal stress on the tires.
For example, in Singapore, the W15’s rear-end durability was a weakness. While George Russell managed to maintain fourth place ahead of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, he had to drive conservatively during much of the stint to preserve the rear tires, sacrificing pace compared to Ferrari. This scenario, among others, highlights the need for improvement.
“Rear overheating is an area where we’ve fallen short of McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari. Singapore was a clear example,” Andrew Shovlin noted, identifying this as a critical focus for the W16.
This issue also affects Aston Martin, which relies on Mercedes-built rear-end components. Conversely, McLaren produces its gearboxes and suspension components in-house, giving it a unique advantage.
Mercedes and Aston Martin also share similar setups to optimize downforce, requiring very stiff configurations to extract performance from the floor. If both teams can better manage the floor’s performance, they may transition to softer rear-end setups, improving tire management and overall car balance.
“In development, we’re exploring ways to reduce rear tire temperatures. The work is twofold: Can we lower the temperature? Or can we dissipate more heat? This is an area where we’ve lagged behind the leaders in some races. It’s a key focus for 2025,” Andrew Shovlin added.
This challenge is critical not just for race-day performance but also for setup choices. Rear-end degradation can compromise traction and destabilize the car, further underlining the importance of addressing this weakness.
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