2025 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[Cocles]

The Race’s team rankings after testing:

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/ever ... 5-testing/

(Merc 2nd)

why does everyone have to come up with a 'ranking' order ?

[Lasssept]

The Race

- How each 2025 F1 car handles - Our trackside analysis

Mercedes

The Mercedes W16 ran like a metronome throughout testing. From the first morning, it looked well-balanced and consistent, and so it proved throughout.

While Kimi Antonelli had his moments where he overdid it and paid the price, generally he impressed.

With George Russell at the wheel, the car looked very responsive. Indeed, watching at the tight downhill Turn 10 on the final day, the Mercedes was the only car that could get the car hooked in on the apex kerb as effectively as the McLaren.

It remains to be seen whether the car really is this consistent given the unusually cool Bahrain temperatures, but on the evidence so far it’s a far more driver-friendly machine than its predecessor.

The only real concern was the number of front lock-ups, but those could be a result of the two downhill approaches to slow corners rather than a recurring issue.

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/how- ... -analysis/

[OverheatedTurbo]

Can’t wait for Round 1 already to see how the W16 performs.

[ringo]

Russell has what it takes to be champion this year if the car is fast enough for the front row.
I think he is at the peak of his powers and has clear #1 status.
The W16 is very similar to W15 so it could be that the car is near it's peak optimal setup at the start of the season and the other cars are still dialining in to their more drastic changes, but it's been a while since mercedes have looked so trouble free in winter testing.
The track conditions also leave doubts about the pecking order. Will the W16 melt away when the track temps increase or when pushed hard over a race distance?
When the first round of upgrades comes, how much potential for growth will this car have if the season boils down to a development war?

[OverheatedTurbo]

Russell has what it takes to be champion this year if the car is fast enough for the front row.
I think he is at the peak of his powers and has clear #1 status.
The W16 is very similar to W15 so it could be that the car is near it's peak optimal setup at the start of the season and the other cars are still dialining in to their more drastic changes, but it's been a while since mercedes have looked so trouble free in winter testing.
The track conditions also leave doubts about the pecking order. Will the W16 melt away when the track temps increase or when pushed hard over a race distance?
When the first round of upgrades comes, how much potential for growth will this car have if the season boils down to a development war?

The W16 was changed substantially as well. The front suspension has different anti dive levels, rearanged wishbones and repositioned steering fairings. Also the rear suspension pickup points have changed. The only thing similar to the W15 is the colors, and the rear wing.

[maygun]

The Race’s team rankings after testing:

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/ever ... 5-testing/

(Merc 2nd)

why does everyone have to come up with a 'ranking' order ?
why is it not enough to conclude 'McLaren look best and others have to catch up, Williams & Alpine look good in the midfield' ?
There is no meaningful data available to anyone outside the teams, so coming to a quantitative conclusion is impossible, so why not settle for a qualitative opinion instead ?

There is so much 'information for the sake of information' that is being generated over these two weeks between testing and the first race. Even otherwise, it will be only after 3-4 races that a 'trend' will be clear as to the ranking order in terms of pace. It is such 'information' that clutters the mind of the F1 viewer, before he watches a race weekend. Sometimes, having too much info/clutter in the mind can spoil the viewing experience, and dull the excitement of watching a quali/race.

They literally wrote:

"
We draw on a broad range of information to generate this ranking, including analysis both of short and long-run pace, trackside observations, numerous paddock conversations with drivers and team personnel, and much more.

Educated guesswork is part of the methodology, which is unavoidable given confounding factors of runplans, fuel loads, engine modes and track conditions. The result is a tentative model of the performance spread and traits of the cars judged solely by what happened in Bahrain, rather than a prediction of what we expected for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. It’s also based on all-round performance, rather than being weighted towards qualifying or race pace.
"

[ringo]

Russell has what it takes to be champion this year if the car is fast enough for the front row.
I think he is at the peak of his powers and has clear #1 status.
The W16 is very similar to W15 so it could be that the car is near it's peak optimal setup at the start of the season and the other cars are still dialining in to their more drastic changes, but it's been a while since mercedes have looked so trouble free in winter testing.
The track conditions also leave doubts about the pecking order. Will the W16 melt away when the track temps increase or when pushed hard over a race distance?
When the first round of upgrades comes, how much potential for growth will this car have if the season boils down to a development war?

The W16 was changed substantially as well. The front suspension has different anti dive levels, rearanged wishbones and repositioned steering fairings. Also the rear suspension pickup points have changed. The only thing similar to the W15 is the colors, and the rear wing.

It is very similar in my opinion. The pickup points are one thing, but the philosophy of the car is the same as W15. A side by side of the w15 wnding 2024 and the w16 would reinforce this idea.
I beleive the gearbox casing is also unchanged.

But let's see. They went from clueless to enlightened in the space of a few months. I am hopeful but i felt this way about w13,14 and 15.
They always seem to "find something" then lose it.

Merc have added Simone Resta to the team, si maybe he has made some good contributions to this car.

[OverheatedTurbo]

Russell has what it takes to be champion this year if the car is fast enough for the front row.
I think he is at the peak of his powers and has clear #1 status.
The W16 is very similar to W15 so it could be that the car is near it's peak optimal setup at the start of the season and the other cars are still dialining in to their more drastic changes, but it's been a while since mercedes have looked so trouble free in winter testing.
The track conditions also leave doubts about the pecking order. Will the W16 melt away when the track temps increase or when pushed hard over a race distance?
When the first round of upgrades comes, how much potential for growth will this car have if the season boils down to a development war?

The W16 was changed substantially as well. The front suspension has different anti dive levels, rearanged wishbones and repositioned steering fairings. Also the rear suspension pickup points have changed. The only thing similar to the W15 is the colors, and the rear wing.

It is very similar in my opinion. The pickup points are one thing, but the philosophy of the car is the same as W15. A side by side of the w15 wnding 2024 and the w16 would reinforce this idea.
I beleive the gearbox casing is also unchanged.

But let's see. They went from clueless to enlightened in the space of a few months. I am hopeful but i felt this way about w13,14 and 15.
They always seem to "find something" then lose it.

Merc have added Simone Resta to the team, si maybe he has made some good contributions to this car.

They will be alright. The remaining 3 are so volatile right now, I don’t know how to rank them.