Toto Wolff ready to achieve ‘new dreams’: “George and Kimi will lead us into the new era”. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff spoke ahead of the first race of the new year.

The first without Lewis
From March 17, 2013, to March 16, 2025: almost exactly 12 years after Lewis Hamilton’s first race with the Silver Arrows, Mercedes is entering a new era without the British superstar. The seven-time world champion now wears Ferrari red, and for Toto Wolff’s team— which finished only fourth in the Constructors’ standings last year— a new chapter begins. For the first time, both drivers behind the wheel of the Brackley-built cars come from the team’s own academy: George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

There is great curiosity about both. Russell, for the first time, steps into the role of the team’s ‘veteran.’ Antonelli, young and immensely talented, will have to prove he can compete at the highest level right from the start. Before flying to Australia at the 5.278-kilometre Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, team principal Toto Wolff introduced the first race of the year and the upcoming season, emphasizing the curiosity and excitement within the team as this new journey begins.

A new chapter
“In Australia, we will write the first lines of our next chapter,” said the Mercedes boss. “It’s an exciting time. In the coming years, we will aim to set new benchmarks and achieve new dreams. This will involve all of us—from the drivers to the mechanics, engineers, everyone working at Brackley and Brixworth, and, of course, our fans. With George and Kimi, two homegrown talents from our junior program, we have a strong driver lineup that combines experience, youth, and speed. It’s an exciting duo that will lead us into our next era.” – the Mercedes team principal pointed out.

“As a team,” Toto Wolff continued, “we started the winter on the back foot. Our rivals ended the 2024 season strongly, and we know that Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren, in particular, should have an initial advantage over us in terms of performance. We can be pleased with the work done in the off-season and the tests in Bahrain. Both drivers gave positive feedback on the W16 after the three days, and it seems we have made improvements. Of course, the only thing that truly matters is how we compare on the stopwatch against our competitors. This weekend, we will definitely start to get a clearer picture,” he concluded.