Mercedes F1‘s 2025 season is already in the books. The headline result: second in the constructors’ championship on 469 points. Not a return to the dynasty years, but a clear signal that the slump is over. This is a review built on final records, not projections.
Leaving Zero-Pod Behind, and the W16
Mercedes F1 introduced the zero-pod concept in 2022, a radical aerodynamic package that removed almost all of the sidepod. It never delivered the expected performance, and from the 2024 W15 the team reverted to a conventional wide-sidepod layout.
One widely repeated error is worth correcting here. The 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was won by Lewis Hamilton. George Russell took pole for that race but did not win it. Russell’s win that actually marked the team’s recovery came in Canada in 2025.
The 2025 W16 continued that direction. It never matched McLaren’s pace across a season, but finishing ahead of Red Bull and Ferrari on points shows the decision to reverse the design philosophy was sound.
The 2025 Lineup: Russell’s Year, Antonelli’s Apprenticeship
With Hamilton gone to Ferrari, Mercedes F1 built the season around Russell. The numbers tell the story.
- George Russell — 4th, 319 points, 2 wins: victories in Canada and Singapore. Canada was a clean sweep of pole, fastest lap, and the win.
- Kimi Antonelli — 7th, 150 points: all 24 rounds completed in his debut season. The 169-point gap to Russell is a normal margin for a rookie.
Together the two account for the team’s 469-point total, with Russell responsible for 68% of it — a sign the team has not yet escaped single-driver dependence. Breaking an individual competitor’s record down into indicators works much the same way as the approach in our UFC fighter record analysis.
Mercedes F1 vs. The Competition: The 2025 Gaps
| Pos. | Constructor | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 833 |
| 2 | Mercedes | 469 |
| 3 | Red Bull | 451 |
| 4 | Ferrari | 398 |
The 364-point gap to McLaren is not something one season closes. The margin to third-placed Red Bull, by contrast, was just 18 points — second place was contested to the end of the year.
The win distribution is the telling part: across 24 rounds it was McLaren 14, Red Bull 8, Mercedes 2. On wins alone the gap looks severe, but Mercedes built second place on consistent finishes and podiums rather than victories. For how to read season-level data like this, the football moneyball strategy guide sets out a useful frame.
What to Watch in 2026
With the 2025 records settled, three questions decide how to read Mercedes F1’s next season.
1. Antonelli’s second-year step
150 points in a rookie year is respectable, but a title challenge needs both cars scoring. How far the 68% Russell dependence falls is the measure.
2. The pace gap to McLaren
364 points is a development-rate gap. The relative pace over the opening rounds will show the direction quickly.
3. The fight for second with Red Bull and Ferrari
In 2025, positions two through four were separated by 71 points. In that band a single reliability problem changes the order.
Tracking driver-level performance data across a season follows the same method used in our Son Heung-min MLS analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How did Mercedes F1 finish the 2025 season?
→ A: Second in the constructors’ championship on 469 points. McLaren took the title with 833, while Mercedes finished ahead of Red Bull (451) and Ferrari (398).
Q: How many races did Mercedes win in 2025?
→ A: Two of the 24 rounds. George Russell won the Canadian Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix, and in Canada he took pole, fastest lap, and the win.
Q: How did rookie Kimi Antonelli perform in his debut season?
→ A: Seventh in the drivers’ championship on 150 points. He finished behind team-mate George Russell (fourth, 319 points) but completed all 24 rounds and stayed inside the top ten.
Q: Why did Mercedes abandon the zero-pod concept?
→ A: The radical design removed almost all of the sidepod but never delivered the expected performance, and the team reverted to a conventional wide-sidepod layout from the 2024 W15 onward. For development detail, the team’s official channels are the accurate source.
Q: Who drove for Mercedes in 2025?
→ A: George Russell (car 63) and Kimi Antonelli (car 12) contested every round. Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari for the 2025 season.
Season Tracking Checklist for Mercedes F1 Fans
- Have you checked the official constructors’ and drivers’ tables as of season end?
- Did you look at the team’s winning rounds alongside pole and fastest-lap records?
- Have you calculated single-driver dependence from the points split?
- Did you read the gap to the leading team as a development-rate difference?
- Have you checked how regulation changes affect the coming season?
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