Mercedes unveils the launch date of its W16 for the 2025 season
Mercedes has become the third team to announce the launch date of its car for the 2025 F1 season.
Mercedes will unveil its W16 Formula 1 car for 2025 on February 24, two days before the start of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The W16 will be the team’s first car since the W03 in 2012 not to be driven by Lewis Hamilton, as Mercedes begins a new era with George Russell and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Read also: The key dates of the 2025 F1 pre-season
A different presentation
Recently, it was learned that the team based in Brackley would not hold its traditional launch event at Silverstone. Instead, the car will be unveiled on February 24, ahead of a scheduled filming on February 25, at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Pre-season testing will then take place in Sakhir from February 26 to 28, before the season-opening Grand Prix in Melbourne at Albert Park from March 14 to 16.
Mercedes finished fourth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2024. Although the team found their way back to victory after a challenging 2023 season, the W15 suffered from a narrow setup window and frequent rear tire overheating.
A Year 2024 in Two Phases
These problems often cost valuable performance over the duration of a race, particularly in hot climates or on demanding circuits where the tires frequently went out of their optimal operating range due to overheating. However, the car showed better performance in cooler conditions, as evidenced by its domination during the weekend in Las Vegas.
The W15 also performed better with low ride heights, which reduced its performance on bumpy circuits where the floor had to be raised to avoid contact with the track.
The Director of Track Engineering, Andrew Shovlin, suggested that the team was also penalized by a perceived delay in its update schedule compared to the other leading teams, as it needed time to understand the brand new concept developed for 2024.
Mercedes will also unveil the livery of its 2025 car during the collective launch of the F1 season, which will be held at the O2 Arena in London on February 18 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of F1.
Ferrari and Williams have also announced the launch dates for their 2025 cars. Williams plans to unveil its new FW47 before the collective event, with a special livery for the occasion.
The F1 W16. Coming soon 👀 pic.twitter.com/GuZ8HUrzi4
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) January 27, 2025
