Toto Wolff makes big prediction about Lewis Hamilton's first season with Ferrari ahead of Australian Grand Prix

Toto Wolff, team principal for Mercedes, has said that the top three teams of the 2024 season will outperform his team in the opening races of the Formula One season, which starts this weekend in Melbourne. Lewis Hamilton, a former Mercedes driver, will be driving the SF-25 for Ferrari. 

In the present ground effect period, which started in 2022, Mercedes has faced many difficulties as the team has worked to create a quick, reliable, and simple vehicle for its drivers to operate. Mercedes and Hamilton, a team that celebrated six driver crowns and eight constructors' championships, dominated the previous era.

Nevertheless, Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes due to the difficulties with their ground-effect vehicles, his desire to compete for Ferrari for a long period, and his pursuit of the eighth championship. According to Wolff, the three teams are anticipated to perform better in the opening races of the 2025 season since McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull finished the championship in the same order last year.

"Australia is always a great place for a race" - Toto Wolff

“As a team, we had an uphill challenge over the winter. Our competitors finished 2024 strongly and we know that Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren in particular should have a performance advantage over us initially. Australia is always a great place for a race. The circuit is challenging for the drivers and a real test for the car. The fans are always out in force and Melbourne is a fantastic venue to kick off the new season,” Toto Wolff said.

While both drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli gave positive feedback during pre-season testing in Bahrain last month, and Mercedes has made significant changes to the W16 F1 car for this year, Wolff said the upcoming Australian Grand Prix would provide a clear picture of his team's position on the grid. Meanwhile, the Australian Grand Prix will mark Lewis Hamilton's first race with Ferrari.