Mercedes enjoyed a competitive weekend at the Chinese GP, showing strong pace across Sprint Qualifying, the Sprint race, and the Grand Prix.
Mercedes: Quiet Contenders in the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Title Fights
George Russell led the team’s efforts with a front-row start for Sunday’s race, while rookie Kimi Antonelli continued his impressive development with consistent performances. Both drivers secured valuable points and kept Mercedes firmly in the fight against their rivals in an increasingly close midfield battle.
Friday and Saturday: Sprint Antics
Russell secured fifth place in Sprint Qualifying for Mercedes at the Chinese GP after a mixed session at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Tyre preparation proved vital across the three sessions, with the Mercedes drivers navigating the challenge of extracting performance from the Medium and Soft compounds.
Russell struggled initially in SQ2, reporting a lack of grip on his first run and sitting outside the top ten.
However, on his second attempt, he jumped up the order to second, despite feeling little difference between the two laps.
The narrow margins between teams became clear as the session progressed.
In the final SQ3 shootout, Russell delivered a clean lap to claim P5, finishing behind the Ferraris, Piastri, and Verstappen. He benefited from Norris’s errors to gain a position and felt the result reflected the team’s performance on Friday.
Antonelli continued his strong adaptation to F1 by reaching SQ3 and finishing seventh.
When the Sprint race began on Saturday, Russell made a solid getaway from fifth, holding position in a competitive midfield battle.
He maintained his pace, kept within reach of the Ferraris and Red Bull ahead, and crossed the line in fifth, securing useful points for Mercedes.
Antonelli started from seventh and faced early pressure but settled into a rhythm. Although he struggled with tyre temperatures, particularly on the Soft compound, he held position well and gained further experience in the pack.
He finished where he started, satisfied with his pace on the Mediums and encouraged by the progress made across the weekend.
READ MORE: McLaren at the Chinese GP: A Dominant 1-2 Finish
Saturday: Front-Row for Russell and Reflection for Antonelli
Russell delivered a standout performance in Qualifying for Mercedes at the Chinese GP, securing his first front-row start of the season with his final lap.
The Briton rose to the occasion when it mattered most, narrowly missing out on pole by just 0.082 seconds to Oscar Piastri.
Having capitalised on chaotic conditions in Australia to take a podium, the Briton again found himself in the mix at the sharp end. This time he emerged as McLaren’s closest challenger in Shanghai.
While many struggled to improve in the final minutes of Q3, Russell took advantage of his pace. Throwing everything at his last flying lap, he moved up the order to split the McLarens, pushing Lando Norris down to the second row.
“It feels incredible, to be honest
“That was one of the toughest Qualifying sessions I’ve had in a long time. I kept trying different things with tyre preparation and just couldn’t get it right – until that last lap. We took a bit of a gamble, but it all came together.” – George Russell via F1
Despite a moment at Turn 1, Russell nailed the remainder of the lap.
The reward was a front-row start and the opportunity to take the fight to McLaren on race day.
To add to Mercedes’ success, rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli placed eighth in his first for Mercedes at the Chinese GP.
The Italian, fresh off an impressive fourth-place finish on debut in Melbourne, showed flashes of pace but struggled to extract the best from the tyres when it counted. Discussing a rookie in this way – where P8 would typically be an outstanding result for a driver in their first season – reflects not only Antonelli’s skill but the potential of Mercedes in 2025.
Antonelli stated post-qualifying:
“The one-lap speed was there, but it was messy
“The warm-up was tricky, and I made a few mistakes — going off at the last corner definitely cost me. It’s disappointing, but the race is long and hopefully we can work our way forward.” – Kimi Antonelli via F1
For the Grand Prix, the top ten was covered by little more than a second. Russell’s late challenge gave Mercedes a prime starting position, while Antonelli eyed another charge through the field when the lights went out.
Sunday: Records Achieved
Russell, who started from the front row after his qualifying effort, was quick off the line but lost out to Lando Norris in the opening corners.
Despite that early setback, he kept both McLarens within striking distance, using an early pit stop to undercut Norris and briefly regain second place.
However, McLaren’s pace ultimately proved decisive. Norris swept back ahead, leaving Russell to face pressure from Charles Leclerc after his pit stop.
Nevertheless, the Briton held firm. As Norris struggled with his brakes, Russell even threatened a late move for second place.
In the end, he settled for third. This result secured back-to-back podiums for Russell and marked Mercedes’ 300th top-three finish in Formula 1 as a constructor.
Meanwhile, Antonelli showed resilience once again. The young Italian suffered floor damage on the opening lap, costing him valuable time.
He then lost ground during the pit cycle but fought back impressively, overtaking a string of midfield rivals to secure sixth place. This is his second points finish in as many Grand Prix starts.
With both cars finishing in the top six, Mercedes will head to Japan encouraged by their steady form.
While McLaren edged ahead this weekend, the Silver Arrows remain firmly in the hunt as the 2025 season gathers pace.
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Quiet Success
Russell reflected on the weekend:
“It’s a great result finishing P3, especially in front of all the fans here – the support has been incredible
“I tried to get the lead early on and managed to jump Lando in the pits, but they just had a little more pace today. Still, we were best of the rest, and that’s all we could have hoped for.” – George Russell via F1
Russell was the first of the front-runners to commit to a one-stop strategy, a call that paid off.
While Leclerc could be seen in his mirrors after the stops, Russell’s defence was measured and composed. A strong weekend overall, including fourth in Saturday’s Sprint, left him content with his performance.
“It’s probably one of my best weekends in F1 so far in terms of consistency and execution. We’ve been up there in every session, and the car felt great,” he added. “We’re working hard to close the gap to the front, but this is a positive step.”
A Succesful Weekend
Overall, Mercedes had a successful weekend at the Chinese GP. After years of middling results, the Silver Arrows are ready to reclaim their place as the team to beat in F1. With George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, and the W16, they may return to the top sooner than expected.
It would be best to not count them out against McLaren this season.
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Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Xinhua
Recording Date: 23.03.2025
