Ted Kravitz’s prediction for George Russell at 2025 F1 Australian GP: Ferrari warned. Ted Kravitz's predictions about the possible rivalry between Mercedes and Ferrari for F1 Australian GP.

George Russell demonstrated during the tests that Mercedes might have closed the gap with Ferrari, and we will see confirmation of this at the Australian GP. The three days in Bahrain showed that the Anglo-German team has made significant strides compared to last season. The simulated race pace in the final session was even at the level of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. It is important to note that Melbourne’s track is a street circuit with sharp corners where traction will be crucial, along with mechanical grip. The design is quite different from Bahrain, and what we’ve seen so far may not be replicated.

For George and his teammate Kimi Antonelli, the pre-season tests went as smoothly as possible. The car responded well to the driver’s input, and no issues were encountered. A feature that immediately stood out to the experts was the ease of turning the car thanks to a very precise front end. Both drivers quickly found performance from the very first session, and even on race pace, tire management showed positive results.

Ted Kravitz’s Predictions
British reporter Ted Kravitz made a bold prediction for the Australian GP, comparing George Russell and the Ferrari SF-25 cars. According to Ted Kravitz, Mercedes has performed well so far and is ready for a positive start to the season.

“I believe George Russell has a good chance of finishing third [in Melbourne]. Mercedes is fast, and we should keep an eye on 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli, it’s nice to have an Italian back in Formula 1. While all the attention is on an English driver moving from Mercedes to Ferrari, there might be an Italian driver able to make it to the podium. That Mercedes is strong. I would place it behind McLaren in terms of where they are on the grid. Probably ahead of Ferrari at the start.”

Ted Kravitz’s opinion is based on the data analyzed at the end of the Bahrain tests. Based on that, Mercedes has clearly shown to be a small step ahead of the Italian team. At Maranello, they have gathered a lot of data and are focused on simulator work to bring the best car possible to Melbourne. The SF-25 is a revolution compared to the previous version, so a more complicated start is possible, but with a large development margin.