Mercedes’ success has always been intrinsically linked with Lewis Hamilton. The combination of the silver arrows and Lewis Hamilton will be etched into history, but as the Brit goes on to write a new chapter with Ferrari, what will become of Mercedes?
Though both have a history before the other, it seems unimportant when you consider the gravity of their achievements together.
Toto Wolff and their newest driver seem to see this as an opportunity. There was a before Lewis Hamilton and now they are looking at the after.
Wolff explained that the move for Hamilton felt ‘right for both’ after years of success together. Even Wolff admitted that the sight of the Brit outside Enzo Ferrari’s home was ‘iconic’.
Luckily Mercedes has likely been preparing for this moment. It seems they may have expected Hamilton’s departures further down the line.
However, with George Russell’s development and the quick progression of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, it is clear the gears were in motion for the future of the team.
Two talented drivers
Wolff said, “At the same time, us embarking on a different route. Trying to reinvent ourselves with a young driver, in addition to George – he’s not mentioned enough. We have a senior, accomplished driver who won races, and this new kid coming up”
Russell has proved himself in the last few seasons to be a strong contender at the front of the grid. In 2024, he seemed to take the next step in his career, consistently out qualifying his World Champion teammate.
The season ended with him a place ahead of Hamilton for the first time in his career, a signal of performance to come.
Russell is looking forward to the opportunity to step into a leadership role. He aims to help his young teammate as the team sets their sights on wins and titles.
Antonelli is perhaps the wild card of the 2025 Mercedes package. At just 18 years old, skipping F3 and only completing one season in F2, there are many question marks surrounding the Italian driver.
Wolff hopes that he has the talent to become another Hamilton/Verstappen prodigy. Pulling the struggling Silver Arrows back to the glory days with the new regulations. The 2025 season will be Antonelli’s chance to get up to speed before he’s expected to hit the ground running in 2026.
Opportunities in 2026
Mercedes have managed to make significant improvements from their tough start to the regulations back in 2022. After spending two years fighting against a proposed car that had a seemingly non-existent window of operation, 2024 was a turning point.
For the first time since 2021, they found themselves in a position to fight for regular victories, especially in cooler conditions. Collecting four wins across the season, Mercedes finally seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Wolff wants to build on this performance in 2025, saying “I think we’ve recognised where our car was weak. In certain areas of cornering. But having said that, no one has got on top of how to establish a basis that the car is fast at all the tracks.“
However, he acknowledged that heading into the final year of these regulations opened opportunities for all teams to fight at the front and make the most of the competitiveness.
He said, “I think this year could be the same again. That three, four, five teams are really close to each other, fighting, which is good news for the sport. At the same time, balancing development for next year – it’s going to be quite interesting how the priorities are set.”
2025 is Mercedes’ chance to prove that Russell and Antonelli are the future of the team and they can return to the top step without the seven-time world champion. Although, no matter the result there is no doubt that there are large shoes to fill.
Feature Image Credit: Photo Credit: Mercedes-Benz Archive
