Mercedes F1 announces release date for W16

On Monday, Mercedes announced the date that the Formula 1 world will meet the W16 E Performance, their challenger for the upcoming F1 season.

That date? February 24, a day ahead of the team’s shakedown session at Bahrain International Circuit. That date is also two days ahead of F1 pre-season testing, which begins in Bahrain on February 26 and runs for three days.

Mercedes also confirmed that the world will see their livery for the 2025 season at the first-ever F1 Launch event, scheduled for February 18 at The O2 Arena in London. To help commemorate the sport’s 75th Anniversary season, all ten teams will gather in London in mid-February to unveil their paint schemes for the upcoming season.

Some teams, such as Williams and Ferrari, have announced separate dates for the introduction of their 2025 challenger to the world. Mercedes now joins that group of teams with this stand-alone event.

The upcoming campaign is the dawn of a new era at Mercedes. With Lewis Hamilton beginning his first year as a Ferrari driver, the team signed young phenom Andrea Kimi Antonelli to take his place for the season ahead. Antonelli, who turned 18 in August, finished sixth in the F2 Drivers’ Championship a season ago, his first campaign in F2.

He will drive alongside George Russell, who returns for his fourth full season with the Silver Arrows. Russell is also in the final year of his current contract with Mercedes.