“No confidence” in Mercedes’ 2025 F1 title bid amid questions over late-season form

Ex-F1 driver Jolyon Palmer has “no confidence” Mercedes will be a title-contending team in 2025.

Mercedes endured their worst season in well over a decade in 2024, finishing fourth in the F1 constructors’ Championship.

While Mercedes were able to take four victories - two apiece for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton - their form was incredibly inconsistent.

It continues a pattern from the start of the current set of rules in 2022, with Mercedes failing to grasp what’s required to be consistently quick at the front of F1.

Palmer, who raced for Renault in 2016 and 2017, doubts Mercedes will get their act together in 2025.

“Las Vegas was the one where they had the best car. But Vegas is a freak circuit. It’s conditions that you don’t get anywhere else,” Palmer explained on BBC's Chequered Flag podcast.

“Even Qatar was chilly the week after. It wasn’t Vegas level of cold. And they weren’t in the same ballpark.

“I just think with every year, 22 was a head-scratcher. They came on strong. Russell won the race in Brazil. And you thought, ‘okay, maybe they’ve learnt for 23.’ No, 23 was a head-scratcher. And then they came on strong. And Hamilton was good at the end of the year and had good races in Austin and the like, finished third in the championship.

“And you thought, ‘okay, 24, this is going to be their year.’ Now, 24 has been a head-scratcher. And then Hamilton and Russell come on strong at the end of the year in Vegas. And you think, ‘okay, they’ll get it for 25.’ You get my drift. I have no confidence it’s going to happen, but we will see.”

A new era for Mercedes

2025 will be a new era for Mercedes, given it’s their first season without Hamilton since 2012.

18-year-old wonderkid Andrea Kimi Antonelli makes the step up from Formula 2, while Russell will be Mercedes’ natural team leader.

With the rules remaining stable over the winter, it’s set to be an exciting battle at the front between McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull.

Mercedes will be hoping to find much-needed consistency over the winter to close the gap to the top three.

Regardless, they will be pinning their hopes on 2026 and the new engine rules.