Ex-F1 driver Jolyon Palmer has “no confidence” Merc♉edes will be a title-contending team in♚ 2025.

Mercedes endured their worst season in well over a decade in 2024, finishing fo﷽urth in the F1 constructors’ Championship.

While Mercedes were able to take four victories - two apiece for 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton - their form was incredibly inconsistent.

It continues a pattern from the start of the curre📖nt set of rules in 2022, with Mercedes failing to grasp what’s required to be consis🀅tently quick at the front of F1.

Palme♌r, who raced for Renault in 2016 and 2017, doubts Mercedes will get their actꦺ together in 2025.

“Las Vegas was the one where they had the best car. But Vegas is a freak circuit. It’s conditions that you don’t get anywhere else,” Palme꧃r expꦏlained on BBC's Chequered Flag podcast.

“Even Qatar wa♓s chilly the week after. It wasn’t Vegas level of cold. And they weren’t in the same ba🐷llpark.

“I just think with every year, 22 was a head-scratcher. They came on strong. Russell won the race in Brazil. And you thought, ‘okay, maybe they’ve learnt for 23.’ No, 23 was a head-scratcher. And then they came on strong. And Ham🐻ilton was good at the end of the year and had good races in Austin and the like, finished third in the championship.

“And you thought, ‘okay, 24, this is going to be their year.’ Now, 24 has been a head-scratcher. And th🉐en Hamilton and Russell come on strong at the end of the year in Vegas. And you think, ‘okay, they’ll get it for 25.’ You get my drift. I have no confidence it’s goiꦕng to happen, but we will see.”

A new era for Mercedes

2025 wi𒊎ll be a ☂new era for Mercedes, given it’s their first season without Hamilton since 2012.

18-year-old wonderkid Andrea Kimi Anto🍨nelli makes the step up from Formula 2, while Russell will be Mercedes’ natural team leader.

With the rules remaining stable over the winter, it’s set to be an e🌄xciting battle at the front between McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull.

Mercedes will be hoping to 🦋find much-needed consistency over the winter to close the gap to the top three.

Regardless, they will be pinning their hopes on 2026 and the new engine ruleꦆs.