Mercedes has given its verdict on George Russell‘s first Formula 1 season as de facto team leader following Lewis Hamilton’s high-profile departure to Ferrari.
Russell entered 2025 under pressure to deliver and lead Mercedes into the post-Hamilton era as it sought to enter a new chapter in its history.
The W16 proved a challenging car for the Briton and new rookie team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with the car only hitting its potential under specific circuit conditions.
This led to a victory in Canada for Russell, with a second win coming in Singapore as the W16 lit up the streets of Marina Bay.
His consistency across 2025, including on difficult weekends, led to a final finishing place of fourth in the Drivers’ Championship, his best in his F1 career.
Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin delivered a positive assessment of Russell’s feedback and communication in developing the W16 across 2025.
“To be honest, with George it’s fine,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I suppose the bigger point is that we don’t really develop the car predominantly based on what the driver is telling us.
“Most of it comes from simulations: you’re searching for downforce, you’re searching for certain balance characteristics that you know will deliver lap time, you’re trying to reduce drag, and you’re developing suspension characteristics that can put the car in a better aerodynamic window.
“So the vast majority of it isn’t the driver saying, ‘I need this,’ and us rushing off to try and find it. However, it’s very, very helpful to have the consistent element of George in the car.”
Russell and Antonelli contributing to Mercedes upturn
Shovlin heaped praise on Russell’s dependability, while also delivering a verdict on Antonelli’s contributing during his challenging rookie campaign.
“He’s known these cars throughout this regulation set, so there was never really any worry about losing our way from a development point of view,” he continued.
“And as I said, Kimi is great at telling you what the car is doing, so there was no area there that needed work.
“It was more that we had a phenomenal run with Lewis, with an awful lot of success, and he decided to try a new challenge at Ferrari.
“We were always looking to Kimi as the future, and there was inevitably going to be a learning year. We were fully committed to that, and on balance, I think it’s gone well.”
READ MORE – How Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes F1 exit prompted George Russell to change his approach in 2025
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