Better Tyre Management Should Improve Mercedes'

Odds in F1 2025

When it comes to Mercedes' shortcomings, they definitely don’t originate with the team members. For one, George Russell has been consistent in his success so far. The 27-year-old has placed in the top five for every qualifying session and race. He has even banked himself four Grand Prix podiums. The talent of this individual cannot be overstated.

He is doing so well that he has become quite the favorite driver on the newest betting sites, where sports fans can place bets on his success and enjoy the variety of bonuses and incentives that come with doing so.

That being said, Russell has been unable to take the lead in even one race lap this year. He came close in the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he managed to briefly challenge Oscar Piastri. But this didn’t last long, and he finished the race a distant runner-up, a full 15.5 seconds away from victory.

This then begs the question: what, if not the skill of the drivers, is holding Mercedes back from success in F1 2025? The answer, unsurprisingly to many F1 fans, is poor tyre management. Toto Wolff, Mercedes' chief executive officer, who was recently interviewed before the beginning of this season, has admitted that although their cars are “really fast,” the tyres cannot consistently perform well over an extended run. It is this, he believes, that is letting them down when it comes to retaining their consistency during a race.  He then went on to compare Mercedes’ cars to McLaren’s, and pointed out that the other team seemed to have kept tyre management as a priority and were benefiting from doing so. He particularly drew attention to the fact that Maclaren’s tyres seemed not to be overheating even when the cars turned corners at high speeds.

In this regard, Wolff does not agree with the sentiment some individuals in F1 hold, that McLaren’s tyres may be pushing the boundaries of the technical regulations placed upon the races, but rather he complimented the Papaya team for finding an innovative way to prevent heat from the brakes from increasing the rear tyre temperature.

It seems Wolff does not want to look at McLaren with envy or bitterness, but rather wants to take the opportunity to learn from them. He spoke on the fact that accusing others of cheating, simply because they are doing a better job than everyone else, is not the right attitude to have in the sport. Instead, he hopes to learn from the genius of McLaren and use it to improve his own cars.

With that in mind, it looks like focusing on better tyre management is a big part of Mercedes' strategy this year. Many hope, implementing a new design, like McLaren’s, will help Mercedes cars perform better over longer distances. Additionally, Wolff reassured fans that this idea was not some far-off goal in the future but something they are actively addressing and experimenting with in the current moment.

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