A day after revealing the W16 to the world in a handful of renders, Mercedes’ 2025 car revealed its first lap at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Mercedes officially unveiled the W16 on Monday, taking the wraps off the new car in a moment that signaled the start of a new era for the team following Lewis Hamilton move to Ferrari.
Mercedes W16 in action on the track in Bahrain
This season, George Russell and teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli were entrusted with the W16 car, for which the head of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, set the goal: “A more constant challenge for victories.”
“We made gains in the off-season,” added the Austrian. “But we won’t know where we are until after the first race in Australia.”
George Russell completed the first laps in the W16, taking to the track in Bahrain on Tuesday morning, just 24 hours before pre-season testing.
Russell and Antonelli will start a specific program today to test all the car’s systems as they get used to their new car.
