Mercedes continues to investigate issues with their F1 engine.
"We still don’t know what failed."
Mercedes is looking into a concerning trend with its typically leading Formula 1 engines, as reported by the Italian magazine Autosprint. Correspondent Paolo Filisetti indicates that in 2025, the German manufacturer's reputation for producing not only powerful but also reliable F1 engines has been adversely affected. He noted that during the trio of races in Imola, Monaco, and Barcelona, a clear negative trend has emerged, with Mercedes at the forefront.
Works driver Kimi Antonelli experienced breakdowns in both Monaco and Barcelona, while his teammate George Russell and the Aston Martins have also encountered recent issues. Filisetti mentioned that Mercedes implemented "preventative measures" ahead of the Spanish GP, leading to another investigation concerning Antonelli's failure.
"We still don’t know what broke," stated Mercedes technical director James Allison. "We have sent the engine back to Brixworth. They will take it apart to identify the exact reasons for the issue and determine the necessary measures to be taken across the entire batch of power units, not just for our team but also for the customer teams."
Filisetti pointed out that the championship-leading cars of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have, for the moment, not been impacted. "Some theories circulating in the Barcelona paddock suggested that the installation on each car could be significant, particularly regarding the sizing of the cooling systems and heat exchange."
Regardless, Mercedes is still anticipated to dominate next year when new radical regulations come into play, fueling speculation about Max Verstappen potentially switching from Red Bull. Red Bull’s championship-winning engine supplier Honda is transitioning to Aston Martin, which leaves the reigning champions developing a custom Red Bull power unit in partnership with Ford. Rumors indicate that the Red Bull-Ford project has faced challenges thus far.
"It would be arrogant of us to think we can immediately outperform our competitors," team principal Christian Horner told Sport Bild. "Ferrari has spent 75 years in this field, while Mercedes has been here for about 25. Audi and Honda have also created some of the best engines in various motorsport sectors. We need to earn our stripes first," he added. "Next year marks a new beginning."
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