Toto Wolff gives cautious approval to the new suspension fitted on the W16s, which helped Russell and Antonelli secure first and third place in Canada. However, further tests will be needed on tracks that are not only hot but also feature high-speed corners – the real Achilles’ heel of the Silver Arrows.
In Canada, Mercedes became the third team to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the 2025 season thanks to George Russell. It was a surprising performance from the W16s (with Antonelli earning his first podium in F1), especially considering the high track temperatures of around 50 degrees Celsius.
Overheating of the rear tyres has been one of the Silver Arrows’ major issues in the first third of the season. The team responded by introducing a new rear suspension, although it was immediately shelved at Imola. It returned in Montreal and, according to Toto Wolff, contributed to George Russell’s victory during a strong performance.
“I used to think that when I wore a pullover it correlated with our performance, because it meant it was cold. And today, with a track temperature of 50 degrees, we were dominant. We’ve changed some things on the car. We’ve got a new rear suspension. I’m very pleased with how the team managed everything, both at the track and at the factory, and how these updates made it onto the car.”
But it’s not just about technical upgrades. Toto Wolff also acknowledged the characteristics of the Gilles Villeneuve circuit, which lacks high-speed corners – the W16s’ biggest weakness in terms of rear tyre overheating – and doesn’t feature particularly abrasive asphalt (Pirelli brought the three softest compounds in its range).
“I also think we need to consider the track we raced on. Montreal has always been a good circuit for us. It lacks the typical high-speed corners where we struggle the most with high temperatures. That’s the key point.”
“We brought the new rear suspension because of the problem we’ve been facing – the overheating of the rear axle. And we weren’t sure about the results we saw in Imola, which were worse than expected. So removing it was probably the right choice at the time. Then we brought it here, hoping we were heading in the right development direction. But with these regulations, it’s never easy to know whether it’s really the right direction.”
“Correlation has been difficult to find – not only for us, but also for many other teams. I also believe that other factors came into play in Montreal. It’s a unique circuit. The track and the asphalt are different from Imola. There’s never a magic fix that transforms a car from a podium contender into a dominant winner. But now we have more data and we’ve learned more. We’ll understand better based on what we gathered this weekend.”
“The second factor is the asphalt. In Montreal it’s fairly smooth, less abrasive, and therefore less damaging to our car, which suffers from rear tyre degradation and overheating.”
In short, the new rear suspension has been given a tentative pass based on the result in Canada, but more definitive proof will be required on more demanding tracks. The first of these will be the Red Bull Ring in Austria. After that will come the true test that will deliver a final verdict on the new Mercedes components: Silverstone.
“In Austria it’ll be different. A different track, different challenges. Now we’ll have to focus fully on that event,” Toto Wolff concluded.
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