Wolff admits concern as W16 lacks expected cool-weather edge

Wolff "a bit worried" as team struggles in conditions where they previously excelled

Mercedes' expected dominance in cooler temperatures has failed to materialize during F1 2025 pre-season testing in Bahrain, leaving team principal Toto Wolff concerned about the W16's performance trajectory.

The unexpected development comes after Mercedes demonstrated superior performance in cooler conditions throughout the 2024 season, particularly shining at venues like Las Vegas, Spa, and Silverstone.

"I'm a bit worried at the moment because these should be conditions where we should be two seconds quicker than everybody else,"

Wolff admitted during a press conference in Bahrain.

"That was the only highlight last year in terms of performance in Las Vegas, and we are not."

Testing performances raise questions

George Russell managed the second-fastest time on the opening day of testing with a 1:30.587, while rookie Kimi Antonelli posted the seventh-quickest lap at 1:31.428.

Day two saw Russell slip to fourth while Antonelli improved to fifth.

These results, while not disastrous, fall short of the dominance Mercedes expected given their historical advantage in cooler temperatures.

The team's performance has left Wolff contemplating whether they've actually solved their temperature sensitivity issues.

"Either we've remedied the problem and we are more balanced through all the climate conditions, or not,"

Wolff speculated, suggesting their overall balance might have improved across varying temperatures at the cost of their cool-weather edge.

Possible wrong turn in development

Wolff acknowledged the team might have taken a misstep during testing.

"I think we sometimes take junctions that go in the wrong direction,"

he explained.

"Maybe yesterday, we tried something in the afternoon that didn't function. It wasn't so good."

The Austrian team principal revealed that Mercedes aimed to create "a car that gives more confidence" this season after Russell and Lewis Hamilton struggled with balance issues throughout 2024.

Comparative performance remains unclear

Despite the concerns, Wolff believes the W16 represents "a tiny step ahead" compared to its predecessor.

However, he emphasized the difficulty in making accurate comparisons during testing.

"We have no idea about fuel loads,"

Wolff noted.

"Yesterday, Norris was on a different planet. Very, very good. Lewis this morning, Sainz on the C2, very impressive. The conditions are really totally not representative."

With just one more day of testing before the season opener in Australia, Mercedes faces mounting pressure to understand their performance puzzle.

The team must determine whether they've sacrificed their cool-weather advantage for better all-around performance or if they've simply taken a wrong development direction.