Toto Wolff expects Mercedes’ main rivals to have a “performance advantage” early on in the 2025 F1 season.

The 2025 F🐽1 season officially kicks off this weekend with the first race at the Australian Grand🌳 Prix.

After three days of pre-✃season testing at the end of February, the true pecki𓆏ng order is unclear due to the unusually cool conditions in Bahrain.

Mer☂cedes arguably enjoyed their best test since 2020, with🦋 the W16 looking hooked up on track.

According to the race simulations from the Bahrain test, Mercedes were second-fastest be♑hind McLaren, althꩵough the usual caveats apply.

Despite a s🌠trong test, Wolff has predicted Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren “in particular” to have the edge in the early races.

“With George and Kimi, two homegrown talents from our junior programme graduates, we have a strong driver line-up that combines experience, youth, and r🦹aw speed,” Wolff said. “It is an exciting duo that will lead us into our next era.

“As a team, we had an uphill challenge over th🏅e winter. Our competitors finished 2024 strongly and we know that Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren in particular, should have a performance advantage over us initially.

“We can be pleased with the work we have done in the off-season, and the test in Bahrain. Both drivers commented favo༺urably on the W16 after the three days, and we seem to have made improvements.

“Of course, the only thing that matters is how we measure up against the stopwatch relative to our competitors. We 𓆏will certainly begin to get a clearer picture on that this weekend.”

A new era for Mercedes without Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes will race in Australia without 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton for the first time since 2012.

18-year-old wonderkid 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Andrea Kimi Antonelli will make his F1 debut this weekend for Mercedes after Wolff chose the Italian over a number of experienced options, including 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Carlos Sainz, as Hamilton’s replacement.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell will spearhead the team after an impressive 2024 campaign where he dismantled Hamilton, particularly in qualify𝐆ing.

Russell feels he’s ready to win a world title and has shown he’s not afraid to go head-to-head with reigning F1 champion168澳洲5最新开奖结果: Max Verstappen.

Mercedes have struggled for consistency since the start of the ꦓground effect era in 2022.

The big question mark over their pace 🍃in pre-season testing was that ⛄it took place in cooler conditions.

Mercedes often thrived when it was colder in 2024 - but struggled 🍷wh🧜en it was hot.