10/03/2025
NEWS STORY
Toto Wolff: We will write the opening lines of our next chapter at the Australian Grand Prix. It's an exciting time as we build upon the incredible legacy of the Mercedes brand in motorsport. We will be striving to set new benchmarks and fulfil new dreams in the years ahead. That will take every single one of us: from the drivers to the mechanics, engineers, everyone at Brackley and Brixworth and, of course, our fans.
That journey is the inspiration for our season launch film. It is a celebration of everything that makes Mercedes what it is: Innovation; Pushing the boundaries; The pioneering spirit of our founders. The same DNA that drives us forward today. With George and Kimi, two homegrown talents from our junior programme graduates, we have a strong driver line-up that combines experience, youth, and raw speed. It is an exciting duo that will lead us into our next era.
As a team, we had an uphill challenge over the winter. Our competitors finished 2024 strongly and we know that Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren in particular, should have a performance advantage over us initially. We can be pleased with the work we have done in the off-season, and the test in Bahrain. Both drivers commented favourably on the W16 after the three days, and we seem to have made improvements. Of course, the only thing that matters is how we measure up against the stopwatch relative to our competitors. We will certainly begin to get a clearer picture on that this weekend.
Australia is always a great place for a race. The circuit is challenging for the drivers and a real test for the car. The fans are always out in force and Melbourne is a fantastic venue to kick off the new season. I remember my first race with the team there in 2013; we held a photoshoot with our drivers on St Kilda Beach and there was a palpable sense of renewed energy. There is also always a start of term feel in the paddock and it therefore feels like an appropriate location to launch our next chapter. As George says at the end of the film: 'This is just the beginning.' And we are excited for what lies ahead.
Fact File
• The Albert Park Circuit, modified prior to 2023 and thus shortened to 5.278 km, is a temporary track partially run on public roads. As part of the modifications, new tarmac was laid.
• Melbourne has the shortest pit lane on the calendar at just 281 metres. Cars therefore spend only about 17 seconds at pit lane speed.
• A lap of Albert Park sees a driver make just 35 gear changes. This is the second-lowest total on the 2025 calendar after Monza.
• 71% of the lap time is spent at full throttle - also the second highest after Monza.
• The Turn 9-10 section of the lap will submit drivers to the highest Maximum Lateral G load of the season, at 5.1
• At the exit of Turn 6/Apex of Turn 7, the kerb has been replaced by a 'negative' kerb, designed to reduce the risk of accidents there seen in previous years.
• The barrier on the left-hand side has also been profiled to address this.
• The pit exit line has been repainted back to its 2018 configuration. The exit line now reaches further into the pit straight, enabling cars more run as they leave the pits.
• At 281 metres, the pit lane at Albert Park is the shortest on the 2025 F1 calendar. Cars will only spend 12.6 seconds driving through the pit lane when making a stop this weekend, quicker than any other track visited this season.
• This will be the 23rd time that Albert Park has hosted the opening Grand Prix of an F1 season, and the first time since 2019 it has raised the curtain of the F1 season.
• The Australian Grand Prix was the last race of the 1995 season, and the first of the 1996 - the only time in history the same Grand Prix has taken place in consecutive races.
• Mercedes has four wins at Albert Park. Nico Rosberg (2014 & 2016), Lewis Hamilton (2015) and Valtteri Bottas (2019)
• George made his F1 debut in Melbourne in 2019 for Williams. He scored his first podium for our team at the track in 2022.
• This will be Kimi's first F1 race, and he will be the third youngest driver to ever start an F1 Grand Prix when the lights go out on Sunday, at 18 years, 6 months, 18 days.
• There is a considerable time difference between Melbourne and the team back at Brackley and Brixworth supporting remotely, adding another level of challenge to the weekend.