As expected, McLaren leads the constructors’ championship after two races. Based on winter testing, the reigning champions already had the most complete car. However, Mercedes is in a strong second place. Unnoticed, the Silberpfeilen have emerged as serious title contenders. According to Toto Wolff, the gap to McLaren is not insurmountable.
In the run-up to the new Formula 1 season, much attention was paid to reigning champion McLaren and runner-up Ferrari, which was expected to have an interesting year with Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes was occasionally mentioned as a potential race winner, but after two races, the Germans have exceeded expectations. George Russell has already driven his W16 to the podium twice, while rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli has so far made an impression. In China, the 18-year-old debutant was even named Driver of the Day.
Based on the first two races, the W16 appears to be much more predictable than its predecessor. The driving characteristics of the W15 were unpredictable, and the car reacted erratically to changing weather conditions and track temperatures, causing the engineers to repeatedly scratch their heads. The W16, on the other hand, has already scored valuable points in the hands of Russell and Antonelli.
‘We Can Close the Gap with McLaren’
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff acknowledges that McLaren still has a visible lead, but emphasizes that the gap is not insurmountable. As most teams are now allocating resources for the 2026 regulations, Mercedes can benefit from the strong foundation of the W16. This is not the case for Red Bull – the Austrians’ development plans seem much less certain. “In China, McLaren was perhaps two-tenths per lap faster than us,” Wolff told the German branch of Sky Sports. “Considering our Friday did not go well at all, that’s not too bad. We can easily make up two or three tenths.”
Mercedes also benefits from the fact that Andrea Kimi Antonelli – for a rookie – makes few mistakes. The 18-year-old Italian has already finished in the points twice. In Shanghai, he came sixth, partly thanks to both Ferraris dropping out. Moreover, he did this with a damaged W16; he damaged his floor at the start of the race.
“Overall, it’s been a good start to the new season,” Wolff concluded. “The ambition is to win, but we don’t feel automatically entitled to it. The car is not as fast as the McLaren at the moment, but the team is working hard to close that gap. For now, we are maximizing the package we have. It’s encouraging to have already stood on the podium twice.”
