The anti-McLaren
Mercedes has been – at the team level – the only real anti-McLaren force at the start of 2025. The Brackley team has collected four podiums in six races, all thanks to George Russell, and is firmly in second place in the Constructors’ standings, although already trailing by 105 points from the untouchable papaya cars. The start of the European season, however, represents a great opportunity for the Silver Arrows. Not surprisingly, in introducing the Imola weekend, Toto Wolff reiterated his intent to fight for victories as soon as possible.
“We arrive in Imola after completing a quarter of the season,” said the Austrian manager. “From these first six races, we can already draw some conclusions: we have made progress compared to last year, with the W16 being a more balanced car than its predecessor. We’ve achieved some solid results, with four podiums in this series of races, and we still have work to do if we want to compete for wins.” – he pointed out ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend.
Reinforcements on the way
Toto Wolff also confirmed the team’s intention to bring upgrades not only to the Italian race but also to the following European GPs: “We’ll be introducing several updates over the coming races,” stated the Brackley team principal, “but in F1 everything is relative, and we know our competitors will also be making progress. It will be interesting to see how things evolve on track.”
Finally, a comment couldn’t be missed on Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s first Imola as a full-time Mercedes driver, a local favorite: “This will be Kimi’s first home race. He grew up nearby, in Bologna, and it will be a special occasion for him. But it’s a race worth 25 points, just like any other, and that’s the only thing that matters at the end of the season. George and Kimi will focus above all on achieving the best possible result on track,” Toto Wolff concluded.
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