Mercedes shares deadline for when the F1 pecking order could be clearly established

Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin has opined that until the next three races in Japan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia conclude, the pecking order of the 2025 F1 season cannot be established. He argued that the season started on atypical race circuits, which cannot clearly tell which team is truly competitive.

The 2025 F1 season began with a bang in Australia as wet conditions led to chaos. Six drivers suffered from DNF while McLaren's Lando Norris won the race. Last weekend in China, the Papaya team once again unleashed a superior pace as Oscar Piastri emerged victorious.

While McLaren appears to have an edge this season, the Silver Arrows want to wait for three more races to conclude a clearer picture.

Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes' Trackside Engineering Director, has suggested that once the next three races in Japan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia are concluded, a clear picture of the pecking order will be revealed. He explained that circuits in Australia and China weren't typical, and teams still need to race on a variety of tracks to understand their true strength.

According to Motorsport Week, he said:

“Suzuka is a fantastic circuit: very flowing and very fast. Many drivers have it as their favorite on the calendar. Then, onto Bahrain. We know Bahrain because we tested there. It has its own challenges, but hopefully we will at least be in the fight for podiums. Then there is Saudi Arabia, a street track that is quite smooth, with a relatively new tarmac and that throws up its own challenges. So three very different circuits. By the time we’ve done five, we’ll have some idea of the real order."

That being said, Mercedes has had a positive start to the season. George Russell got two consecutive podiums (P3) in Australia and China. Moreover, rookie Kimi Antonelli also scored points in both races and outperformed other rookies on the grid.

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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to skip Japanese Grand Prix

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff - Source: Getty

The Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team will be without their team principal Toto Wolff at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix. He confirmed his unavailability while talking to the media and appointed Bradley Lord as stand-in team principal.

Since last season, Wolff has been prioritizing his workload due to a busy F1 schedule. He skipped the Brazil Grand Prix last year and missed the weekend in Japan in 2023 due to a knee injury. Wolff was also supposed to not show up in Suzuka in 2024, but his team's shaky start forced him to reconsider his plans.

However, this year, Mercedes is off to a promising start. With two podium finishes and 57 points in two races, the team is seated at the second position in the constructors championship table. Only McLaren is above them with 78 points.