Wolff cautions against 'hero' label for Mercedes after strong start

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff is urging caution despite the team's dominant start to the new Formula 1 season, warning against premature comparisons to their past glory and the "hero" narrative. The Brackley-based squad has won the opening three races, with George Russell taking the opener and rookie Kimi Antonelli securing back-to-back victories, marking a dramatic return to form after several difficult seasons.

Why it matters:

Mercedes' early dominance under new regulations echoes their legendary 2014 campaign, but Wolff understands the modern F1 landscape offers rivals a quicker path to catch up. His public tempering of expectations is a strategic move to maintain internal focus and external pressure, emphasizing that sustained success over a full season, not a strong opening, defines a true championship contender.

The details:

• Strong Start: Mercedes has secured a perfect record of three wins from three races in 2025, with George Russell winning in Bahrain and Kimi Antonelli following up in Saudi Arabia and Australia.
• Historical Echoes: The performance under a major regulatory change naturally draws comparisons to 2014, when Mercedes began an era of unprecedented dominance.
• Wolff's Warning: The team principal explicitly rejected the "hero" label, stating, "We're three races in. We're looking like the heroes, but three races from now on, people could be saying, 'you're not heroes anymore, because the others got stronger'."
• Long-Term Belief: Wolff emphasized he never lost faith in the team's ability to rebuild, highlighting the importance of structure and driver talent. "We'd never stop believing that we would eventually land a car and build the structures that can do that with the right drivers," he said.

What's next:

The immediate focus for Mercedes is maintaining development momentum to counter the inevitable upgrades from rivals like Red Bull and Ferrari. Wolff's comments set the stage for a long championship fight, framing the early wins as just the first step. The true test will be whether they can convert this promising start into consistent performance across the entire calendar, preventing the "heroes" narrative from flipping as the season progresses.