Mercedes boss makes his feelings known about the team's driver line up of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli

Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff expects George Russell to embrace a leadership role within the team while anticipating a strong rookie season from Kimi Antonelli. Speaking at the launch of the W16, Wolff highlighted that the fresh driver lineup offers a new dynamic to the team, adding more excitement for the 2025 season.

Russell, entering his fourth season with Mercedes and seventh in F1, will be expected to lead the team after finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton in 2024 by 25 points, securing two victories and four podiums. Meanwhile, Antonelli will be one of five rookies on the 2025 grid after finishing sixth in the F2 standings, 38 points ahead of his teammate Oliver Bearman.

Wolff remains confident that with the right car, Russell has the qualities to fight for a world championship. As for Antonelli, the Austrian acknowledges that the Italian’s rookie season will be a learning curve but believes his exceptional talent justifies Mercedes’ decision to fast-track him into F1.

Looking forward to the new driver lineup at Mercedes, Wolff said:

“We have an exciting line-up to help us achieve our objectives. Both drivers have progressed through our junior programme and that is a vindication of our commitment to both supporting and developing talent. George has proven that he is one of the very best drivers on the grid, capable of competing for the Drivers' Championship if we can give him a car capable of doing so. As the senior driver, he will help lead the team forward and support Kimi in his development. Kimi 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. We're looking forward to that journey together though and helping him develop over the course of the year.”

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Toto Wolff outlines his expectations for Mercedes in the 2025 season

Toto Wolff believes it will be difficult to gauge Mercedes’ position in the competitive order until the season opener in Australia. Speaking at the W16 launch, the Mercedes boss suggested that the 2025 grid could be much closer than in 2024, making it an unpredictable season.

Wolff emphasized that while the team has made performance gains in developing the W16, the true measure of their progress will only be seen once the cars hit the track in Melbourne. There will be significant development on the cars between the launch and the first race of the season, making preseason testing only a rough indicator of relative performance. However, the Austrian remains optimistic about Mercedes’ ability to challenge for victories consistently in 2025.

“Everyone at the team, in Brackley and Brixworth, has been hard at work over the winter. Last season was incredibly competitive on the track and, whilst we took several wins, we are all focused on challenging for victories more consistently. We have made gains in the off-season, but we will only know where we stand come the first race in Australia. 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.”

In 2024, Mercedes endured a challenging season, finishing fourth in the Constructors’ Championship while their customer team, McLaren, emerged as the top team. This marked a significant shift in the competitive landscape, underscoring Mercedes’ struggles in the ground-effect era. As they head into 2025, it will be crucial for the Silver Arrows to reclaim their status as frontrunners and outperform their customer teams.

With stable regulations and development converging across the grid, the upcoming season is expected to be one of the most competitive in recent years. Multiple race winners and a wider title fight could be on the cards, making Mercedes’ ability to bounce back all the more critical.