Mercedes will not write off this season to prioritise on the next regulation changes, says Toto Wolff. The 52-year-old explains that Mercedes want to optimise their success in both 2025 and 2026 – rather than sacrificing one for the other.
Mercedes aim for two birds with one stone
The last twelve months have been a mixed bag for Mercedes. From one perspective, they can be satisfied with the four victories they claimed in 2024.
Having failed to win a race in 2023, the German constructor managed to take a big step forward last season.
In the build-up to the summer break, at venues like Canada, Austria, Britain and Spa, Mercedes were arguably the fastest team.
Upgrades to the W15 worked immediately, unlocking more performance and punishing direct rivals (Ferrari and Red Bull) for being static.
However, Toto Wolff’s team were frustrated that this mid-season form was not consistent.
The W15’s susceptibility to different temperatures and wind conditions became re-emerged as a limiting factor, ultimately preventing Mercedes from finishing any higher than fourth in the standings.
Even after their late-season COTA upgrades, results were inconsistent. A dominant 1-2 finish in Las Vegas was followed by less impressive results in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Toto Wolff: Mercedes won’t abandon 2025
Because of this, the Brackley-based team enter this year as a massive unknown. There is also the issue of preparing for the 2026 regulations.
In response, Toto Wolff makes clear that Mercedes can balance 2025 and 2026.
The Mercedes team principal argues there is still everything to play for heading into the final season of these regulations:
“Sometimes it is much less complex than one thinks,” he told Autosport.
“Probably the transition of people and capability into the 2026 regulations is going to happen a bit earlier than it would under stable regulations.
“But it’s not going to be game-changing,” Wolff explained.
“Nobody’s going to switch the machines off in January, unless you are really nowhere… We are fighting for victories and podiums, and cannot write it off.”
High risk, high reward for the W16
On-track performance is not the only consideration for Mercedes next year. Kimi Antonelli’s progress will be eagerly observed across the field, by rivals and analysts alike.
The 18-year-old enters Mercedes a few years after the height of their dominance – but the pressure of fighting for race victories is still likely to be a huge factor.
With George Russell alongside him, Antonelli has a very strong reference. This means that Antonelli’s abilities – and whether Toto Wolff was correct to promote him so soon – can be determined relatively soon.
Luckily for the Italian, the Brackley squad enter 2025 as somewhat of a wild card.
Should they struggle to catch Ferrari and McLaren over the winter, Mercedes can console themselves by pointing towards their potential for 2026.
By all accounts, Toto Wolff’s team have the resources to hit the ground running with the next generation of F1 cars.
However, Mercedes are still within striking range of title contention.
If James Allison’s technical team can overcome the inconsistencies that have been so prevalent in recent years, Russell and Antonelli could become regular features at very front in 2025.
