George Russell drove the new Mercedes F1 car for the first time on Tuesday. The Silver Arrows didn’t host a traditional launch in a winter dominated by the season launch event in London.

After showcasing their 2025 livery at the O2 Arena, Mercedes revealed the car itself on social media. Russell and new signing Kimi Antonelli then took to the track in Bahrain for a shakedown.

It’s the start of the post-Lewis Hamilton era at Brackley, with Russell looking to take on a team leader role. Antonelli is regarded as a future superstar but Mercedes have tried to play down expectations for his rookie season.

Toto Wolff’s squad are one of F1’s biggest unknown quantities heading into the 2025 season. Martin Brundle has called Mercedes a ‘one-horse team’ given Antonelli’s inexperience, but that will only matter if the car is fast enough to contend.

Last season, they won four races – only two fewer than world champions McLaren. However, they ended up finishing nearly 200 points adrift.

It’s not inconceivable that, in the final year of the ground-effect ruleset, Mercedes take the step they need to compete for top honours. But equally, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they flattered to deceive yet again.

George Russell has already cast doubt on Mercedes’ title chances – good news for Lewis Hamilton

Russell has previously said that a driver can tell within five laps if they have a chance of winning the title. But his initial verdict on the W16 was somewhat cagey.

As quoted by The Mirror, he said: “I’ve definitely got some first impressions, which I’ll keep to myself for now. It’s important not to jump to any conclusions because we know from last year, circuit to circuit, the performance fluctuations were massive from all of the teams. From what I feel so far, I’m happy.”

Journalist Daniel Moxon notes that Russell didn’t sound ‘overly enthusiastic’. But what was truly telling was his next answer.

“You always say you want to fight for a championship but, being realistic and knowing where we finished last year, that’s quite a stretch,” he admitted. “But we know that if we go in every single weekend and we try to maximise every single result, who knows where that will take us?”

Russell had previously expressed optimism about Mercedes’ title chances, but after his first outing, he’s trying to control expectations. This is good news for former driver Hamilton, because it suggests he might have made the right decision.

Rumours in the paddock suggest Ferrari have overtaken McLaren this winter. They could be entering the season as favourites, giving Hamilton a clear chance to win an eighth championship.

Ferrari fans will be delighted when they hear what time Lewis Hamilton is starting work

Provided the car is at the level required, Hamilton’s own title ambitions will rely on how quickly he adapts. He had a few small moments on the first morning of testing as he tried to find the limits.

At the end of last month, he crashed driving the 2023 car in Barcelona. Hamilton was apparently ‘caught out’ by how sensitive the car was to wind, epitomising the learning curve he’s faced this winter.

But nobody can question his commitment to the task. Ferrari insiders have revealed that Hamilton has been starting work at 7am and only returning to his motorhome late at night.

After what was statistically the poorest season of his career in 2024, he’s clearly arrived in Italy with fresh motivation.