Mercedes F1 revival: Wolff hails Russell and rookie Antonelli after best season start since 2021

Mercedes Formula One boss Toto Wolff is optimistic about the future of their racing outfit given the positive start they’ve enjoyed to the 2025 season, and currently find themselves in the running for both a drivers and constructors title. 

It’s Mercedes’ best start to an F1 season since 2021. 

The Austrian billionaire’s gamble paid deep dividends after rookie driver Kimi Antonelli helped secure a double dose of championship points in both Australia and China.

Antonelli also picked up two points from the sprint, while Russell bagged five points towards the title. 

Wolff also praised Antonelli’s skill and level head for driving a damaged car to an eighth-placed finish at the Shanghai circuit on Sunday. 

Lead driver George Russell took a third finish in China, as well as a podium in Australia, and is showing promise to lead Mercedes back to their constructor title days. 

Wolff was pleased with Mercedes pace in China, as Russell found himself two seconds behind the McLaren of Lando Norris.

McLaren have been the team to catch and compare to this season for the rest of the paddock. 

McLaren lead the constructors standings with 78 points, followed by Mercedes with 57 points.

Christian Horner’s Red Bull have some catching up to do if they want to even think of competing with their arch rivals Mercedes. 

Horner and Wolff’s relationship has been publicly sour, especially after the controversial 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, where Max Verstappen won the race under strange circumstances. 

But Wolff’s unit has looked far more polished this season than Red Bull, and are cognisant of the work they have ahead of them if they want to catch McLaren.

“I wouldn’t say we are in the hunt now – when you look at (Oscar) Piastri being in front, it is easier on the tyres and you can manage it. But we are not far away... maybe the gap is a couple of tenths rather than the second it was in Melbourne,” Wolff said.

“We are clearly the second-fastest team today, and that’s another solid result.

“George’s driving was a 10 out of 10, and I rarely give 10 out of 10, but he just extracted the maximum that was there today.

“And so far, there are reasons to be excited about what the future brings. 

“We also have to be realistic that it is not where we want it to be.

“So, we will be happy when we start winning races and fighting for championships.

“But there is no sense of entitlement – you have to work your way to that, and this is the exciting journey that lies ahead.”

On Antonelli, Wolff said: “He got extensive floor damage, we don’t know why – maybe he ran over Charles’ (Leclerc) endplate, but he had like massive holes in the floor and titanium strips that were gone. 

“So, considering he had a car that was severely impaired, finishing eighth (which later became sixth), holding on to it, not complaining and just getting on with the job shows the potential and the maturity the young man has.”

Managing their front tyres this season will be vital if they are to stay consistent and continue earning double points.

Wolff said the front tyres were sensitive and needed to be handled with care. 

“(The race) shows the C2, the hard rock solid and robust, a racing tyre that could do three-quarters of the race.

“So, we are learning race by race, test by test, and the ones who are going to have the fastest learning rate on how to exploit the tyres is going to come out the winner.”