Russell Shines - Antonelli Stuns: Mercedes Off to a Flyer!

Kimi Antonelli’s stunning P16 to P4 charge and George Russell’s podium give Mercedes a boost in Melbourne’s chaotic season opener.

Mercedes F1 had a fantastic start to the season in Melbourne this Sunday, securing a podium finish with George Russell and an outstanding P4 for rookie Kimi Antonelli. Despite challenging wet conditions, Antonelli was one of the few newcomers to stay mistake-free, climbing from P16 to P4 in an impressive drive.

After the Australian Grand Prix, Team Principal Toto Wolff couldn’t help but praise his drivers.

“Both drivers did an excellent job in extremely tough conditions,” said Wolff.

“George delivered a composed and brilliant race to secure a podium, while Kimi showed incredible maturity alongside the speed we already know he has. Climbing from 16th to 4th is no easy feat. The team executed the race flawlessly, demonstrating strong operational performance. We saw many drivers fail to finish, and some teams missed their opportunities. In contrast, we maximized our result and can be proud of our Sunday.”

A Strong Start, but Work Remains

Not everything is perfect, though—Mercedes still trails McLaren in pure performance.

“McLaren was incredibly fast today. We know we need to improve if we want to fight them in normal conditions. We’ve clearly made progress over the winter, which is encouraging, but there’s still work to do. The car is responding well to both drivers, and that gives us a strong foundation to build on. Now, we’re looking forward to China next weekend.”

Wolff also shared a personal anecdote about his first race weekend without Lewis Hamilton in the team.

“It was tough! While watching the screens, I kept thinking we had three drivers—RUS, ANT… and HAM. Then you realize, oh right, HAM is at Ferrari now! It feels surreal after so many years. Of course, we care about his performance, but on track, he’s now the competition. 1-0 to us!”

Mercedes Thrives in the Chaos

Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin highlighted how well the team handled the unpredictable conditions.

“We can be pleased with our start to the season. The conditions were tough, both for the drivers and the team, but everyone stayed calm and executed flawlessly. We made the right calls at the right moments, which is why we secured a strong result.”

“George managed his race smartly. We didn’t have the pace to fight the leading McLarens, so he focused on preserving his intermediate tires in the first stint. He handled the rain on dry tires well and brought the car home in the final laps to secure our first podium of 2025.”

Shovlin was also full of praise for Antonelli’s debut performance.

“Kimi was unlucky in qualifying, but he didn’t let that hold him back. His recovery drive was remarkable—moving through the pack early on and keeping it clean while others struggled in the wet. P4 is a fantastic result for his first race.”

Now, all eyes turn to China, where Mercedes will continue refining the W16 and measuring its progress against the competition.

“Shanghai is a very different circuit from Melbourne, and it will teach us a lot. We’re aiming for another strong weekend to build on this positive start.”

Next stop: China!