For the first time in nearly a decade, Mercedes will launch its 2025 F1 car digitally, skipping Silverstone.
Mercedes is breaking a near-decade-long tradition with the launch of its 2025 W16 Formula 1 car. The Brackley-based team, renowned for unveiling its new F1 challengers at Silverstone before a shakedown test, has decided to make this year’s reveal a digital-only event. The images of the new car will be released on February 24, followed by the first shakedown test at the Bahrain International Circuit the next day, ahead of official pre-season testing from February 26-28.
Since 2017, Mercedes has traditionally chosen Silverstone as the venue for its car launches, a location close to its headquarters in Northamptonshire. This proximity allowed the team to address any early issues with the car before heading into the season. The only deviation from this routine occurred in 2021, when the team faced a rough start in Bahrain due to a gearbox issue that limited the testing mileage.
That year, Valtteri Bottas only managed six laps on the opening morning, with Lewis Hamilton also falling short of his desired test time due to technical problems. Reflecting on that experience, Bottas admitted that Mercedes learned a valuable lesson. “It’s very easy to say it afterwards but of course, now, yes, we would have done it [the shakedown] before,” he noted. However, he added that recent years of reliability meant the team was confident in the car’s performance after prior dyno runs.
The decision to move away from Silverstone for this year’s launch comes partly due to logistical challenges tied to the F1 official launch event in London. Teams have had to adapt their schedules accordingly, with Mercedes opting for the digital reveal instead. On February 18, the team will also showcase its 2025 livery on an older car at the F1 O2 launch event in London.
As of now, Williams and Ferrari appear to be the only other teams opting for separate, official car launches for the 2025 season. Mercedes’ shift in strategy is a bold move, and fans will be watching closely to see how this change impacts the team’s preparation for the new season.
