While Mercedes engineers sift through telemetry looking for tenths, George Russell has already found his perfect line, at least off-track. His new dark blue Mercedes-AMG ONE has F1 fans buzzing, and not just because it’s one of the rarest and most complex hypercars ever made.
From Silver Arrows to Street Kings
George’s AMG ONE isn’t just a status symbol, it’s a statement. The car packs over 1,000 horsepower, thanks to a hybrid system that includes the same 1.6L V6 engine used in Mercedes’ championship-winning F1 cars. It hits 0-62 mi/h in 2.9 seconds, sounds like a jet engine at idle, and features a multi-stage power-up sequence that’s more pre-race ritual than ignition.
Let’s just say: your AMG ONE won’t be ready to go before your morning coffee.
Its presence immediately sparked discussion online, with many fans joking that it might be the only Mercedes currently delivering flawless performance. The irony isn’t lost: Russell’s hypercar is sharp, aggressive, and dominant. The W16? Still trying to find its rhythm.
Mercedes in Freefall? Not Quite, But the Slide is Real
Gone are the days when Mercedes rolled into each race weekend as odds-on favorites. The last five years have told a very different story:
| Year | Constructors’ Standing | The Story |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1st | The last golden year |
| 2022 | 3rd | Porpoising chaos |
| 2023 | 2nd | Rebound, but not redemption |
| 2024 | 4th | A full system reboot |
| 2025 | 2nd (currently) | Pacing McLaren, but not leading |
So far in 2025, Mercedes are sitting P2 in the Constructors’ with 111 points, a respectable tally, but still far behind McLaren’s 188. Russell has been their most consistent performer, currently 4th in the Drivers’ Championship with 73 points. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli is showing potential, adding 38 points to the tally and proving he belongs in F1.
But it’s clear: Mercedes are still chasing, not leading.
Toto’s Saudi Struggles
After a Saudi Arabian GP that netted decent points but no breakthrough results, Team Principal Toto Wolff looked visibly frustrated. His post-race comments made it clear: Mercedes doesn’t fully understand the inconsistencies in their car.
And that’s the real issue. It’s not that the W16 is bad, it’s that it’s unpredictable. Some weekends, it fights for podiums. Others, it just fights the track.
Fans are beginning to feel the disconnect. The brand that once epitomized control and innovation now looks like it’s stuck in setup purgatory, hunting for performance that once came effortlessly.
The AMG ONE Metaphor
There’s something poetic in all this. Russell’s AMG ONE is a marvel: beautiful, brutally fast, engineered to perfection… but also incredibly temperamental. You don’t just hop in and drive. You wait. You warm it up. You treat it right.
That’s kind of where Mercedes are now. All the potential in the world. The bones of greatness. But needing a whole lot of patience, and a little luck, to make it work.
The difference? The AMG ONE at least sounds incredible while warming up. The W16? Not so much.
The Road Ahead
Mercedes aren’t in crisis. But they’re not in control either. There’s enough talent, budget, and engineering firepower to turn this ship around, but with McLaren breaking away and Ferrari breathing down their neck, the clock is ticking.
George might be cruising in one of the greatest road cars ever made. But fans are waiting for him, and Mercedes, to start driving like it on Sundays.