George Russell Calls Mercedes W16 A ‘Significant Change’ As Team Targets Consistency In 2025

George Russell isn’t holding back: the new Mercedes W16 E, rolled out Monday, marks a “significant change” from the rollercoaster of 2024. Speaking trackside in Bahrain ahead of Tuesday’s shakedown test, the 27-year-old Brit pegged it as a “reasonable step” forward, a weapon he hopes will steady Mercedes’ aim after a season of flashes and fades. With four wins last year—two apiece for Russell and ex-teammate Lewis Hamilton—the Silver Arrows still limped to fourth in the constructors’ standings, trailing McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull. Now, Russell’s leading the charge alongside rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and he’s got his eyes on a sharper 2025.

“Every year [since 2022] we have uncovered a problem, solved it and it’s created a new one,” Russell said, breaking down the team’s past stumbles. “We have been a lot more disciplined with every change we have made, and more thorough than ever in terms of the simulator running, just to ensure we’re not going to fall into a new trap.” That discipline’s key—2024’s W15 could snag victories (think Austria and Silverstone for Russell), but inconsistency plagued it. “If we bring the performance we expect, it should be a good step forward,” he added. “There are never guarantees. But I’m optimistic we can have a decent season.”

Technical director James Allison pinpointed the fix. “We’ve been concentrating on making improvements in the areas that held us back last year,” he said. “Our primary focus has been on dialling out the W15’s slight reluctance to turn in slow corners, along with the imbalance in tyre temperatures that made the car inconsistent from session to session.” Mercedes brass say those slow-speed gremlins—exposed in tight tracks like Monaco—are in the crosshairs. The W16’s shakedown in Bahrain Tuesday, followed by pre-season testing Wednesday at 07:00 GMT, will offer the first real clues. Melbourne’s Australian Grand Prix, March 14-16, looms as the proving ground.

Russell’s not betting against the champs, though. “Look at how dominant McLaren were, they are the favourites going into this year,” he said, tipping his cap to the 2024 constructors’ kings. “In the final year of the regs it becomes close naturally but I still expect McLaren to be right at the forefront.” McLaren’s late-season surge—nine wins, including their first title since ’98—sets the bar high. Team principal Toto Wolff agreed the field’s tight. “It is going to be a highly competitive season,” he said. “We saw last year just how close the field was. You couldn’t say race-to-race who would be at the front, and I expect this year to be even closer. We will have to be at our very best if we want to challenge for championships this season.”

Enter Antonelli, the 18-year-old Italian phenom stepping into Hamilton’s vacated seat. “Winter preparation has been quite intense. Really interesting,” he said. “Trying to focus on as many things as possible, want to avoid arriving to Melbourne to have some bad surprise.” Green as he is, Antonelli’s got Russell’s vote. “Even if the line-up stayed the same this year, going into this season it’s my fourth with Mercedes, seventh in F1,” Russell said. “Last year was probably my strongest ever and I feel I’m getting stronger year-on-year. So even if things had stayed the same, I felt a huge amount of support from the team. Equally the team gave me that support when I joined and now Kimi is a super-fast driver, super-motivated. Naturally a lot to learn but I am sure it’s going to be a good season together.”

Mercedes dominated from 2014-21, bagging eight straight constructors’ crowns, but the 2022 rules reset knocked them off the perch—five wins in three years tells the tale. “The last couple of years we have been so focused on solving the problem, we weren’t looking ahead to what future issues it would cause,” Russell said. “You solve one thing and it creates a new problem, we have been much more forward-thinking than we have in the past.” Balance is the name of the game now. “When you’re changing characteristics of the car, if you make the front stronger it is going to take away from the rear, and if you go too far, that’s just as much of a problem as the opposite direction,” he explained. “It’s being thorough, saying: ‘These are the fundamental changes we’re going to make. We think it’s going to do X, is that going to be a problem at these races and if so how are we going to drive around it?’”

Wolff’s got faith in the kid, too. “He has all the necessary talent to achieve great things at the pinnacle of the sport, but this is a rookie season and there will inevitably be ups and downs,” he said of Antonelli. “We’re looking forward to that journey together though and helping him develop over the course of the year.” Russell’s stepping up as the veteran—his 2024 was a career peak, with pole in Canada and a Vegas win. Now, he’s got the keys to lead Mercedes back to the front, W16 in hand. Testing’s here, Melbourne’s close, and the fight’s on. Buckle in.