The Mercedes-AMG F1 W16 E Performance, commonly known as the Mercedes W16, is a Formula One racing car designed and built by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team currently competing in the 2025 Formula One World Championship.[1] It is being driven by George Russell, who is in his fourth consecutive season with the team, partnering rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who replaces seven-time World Drivers' Champion Lewis Hamilton, who departed for Ferrari following the end of the 2024 season.[2] As such, this is the first Mercedes F1 car since the F1 W03, from the 2012 season, not to be driven by Hamilton.
Background
The W16 is the successor to the W15 from the following year that took four victories, namely in Austria, Great Britain, Belgium, and Las Vegas. Despite taking four wins the previous season, the car was criticised by driver George Russell who labeled it as "the most inconsistent" Mercedes car the team has ever had.[3] The team finished the season in fourth in the World Constructors' Championship, trailing behind Red Bull by 121 points but 374 points ahead of Aston Martin.[4]
Initial design
Mercedes has traditionally struggled during the ground-effect era from the 2022 season starting with the W13 with its "no sidepod" philosophy. With the W14, the car's suspension design hindered the team's ability to maximize the effectiveness of its underbody aerodynamics. To compensate, the team had to raise the car's ride height throughout the season, which put them at a disadvantage compared to their competitors. The W16 appeared to solve the suspension problems but it produced a knock-on effect of inducing inconsistent balance.[5]
Technical Director James Allison has been "very involved" in the design of the W16.[6]
References
- ^ "Mercedes-AMG F1: W16 Launch Date Confirmed". Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
- ^ Edmondson, Laurence (31 August 2024). "Why Andrea Kimi Antonelli is replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes". ESPN. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ Noble, Jonathan (1 November 2024). "Mercedes car the "most inconsistent" the team has ever had, says Russell". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ Hart, Becky (21 December 2024). "END OF YEAR REPORT: Mercedes – An inconsistent season and a bittersweet farewell for Hamilton". Formula 1. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ Boxall-Legge, Jake (18 February 2025). "How Mercedes aims to avoid the "traps" it has fallen into with recent F1 car designs". Autosport. Archived from the original on 6 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ^ McDonagh, Connor (26 February 2025). "James Allison "very involved" in new Mercedes W16 as it hits the track in Bahrain". Crash.net. Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
