Mercedes unveiled its new W16 car in a digital launch on Monday, gearing up for preseason testing and a fresh chapter following the departure of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Replacing the 40-year-old Hamilton, now at Ferrari, is 18-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli, who joins Britain's George Russell and experienced reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, a former Mercedes racer.
“We open an exciting new era in the story of our team and Mercedes-AMG motorsport in 2025. We are building on the incredible legacy of our heritage, and we can’t wait to go racing,” said team principal Toto Wolff.
“We have made gains in the off-season, but we will only know where we stand come the first race in Australia.”
Wolff said Russell, the "senior driver" starting his seventh season in the sport, would help lead the team forward while Antonelli faced a rookie year in which "there will inevitably be ups and downs."
Mercedes, winners of a record eight constructors' championships in a row between 2014 and 2021, finished fourth last year.
Technical director James Allison said that while stable rules on the chassis side made big gains in lap time harder to find, “we've been concentrating on making improvements in the areas that held us back last year.
“Our primary focus has been on dialing out the W15's slight reluctance to turn in slow corners, along with the imbalance in tire temperatures that made the car inconsistent from session to session.
“We are pleased with our progress over the winter, and we're looking forward to finding out where we stack up against everyone else.”
Allison expected to see multiple winners this season, possibly more than the four teams and seven drivers that won last year.
The season starts in Australia on March 16, with Mercedes-powered McLaren seeking to defend its constructors' title while Red Bull's Max Verstappen chases a fifth drivers' crown in a row.
