Niki Lauda has played down suggestions Mercedes' dominance will be stronger than ever in 2015. The German team utterly dominated the first year of the new 'power unit' era last season, winning all but three of the grands prix.
But despite the new W06 seeming unbeatable in the wake of the pre-season tests in Spain, team chairman Niki Lauda thinks rivals are ready to pounce. "This will be a really interesting season that is not just about Mercedes," he told the Austrian news agency APA.
Lauda added: "The drivers' championship will probably not be decided solely between Lewis and Nico. A third or fourth one will be in the fight." He said assumptions based on winter testing alone are rarely true in F1. "I believe only the things that I will see in Melbourne," said Lauda, although he admitted that Mercedes is "well prepared" for 2015.
Last year, it was Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo who put up the biggest challenge to the might of Mercedes. In 2015, it could be Williams' Valtteri Bottas, although the Finn insists that Mercedes' advantage seems too big for now. "It seems that they are at least half a second above everyone else," he told the Finnish broadcaster MTV3, "which is a harsh fact at this stage of the season."
Another potential Mercedes challenger has emerged in the form of Ferrari. "It's going well for them," Lauda admits, "while for McLaren, the opposite is true. But that can change quickly." (GMM)
This season will not just be about Mercedes - Lauda
- Published on 03 Mar 2015 12:14
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
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Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
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Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
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Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
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Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
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Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
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Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
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Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
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Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
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Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
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World Championship standings 2026
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team Cadillac F1
- Points 1,608
- Podiums 61
- Grand Prix 221
- Country FI
- Date of b. Aug 28 1989 (36)
- Place of b. Nastola, FI
- Weight 70 kg
- Length 1.73 m
- 135,081 comments on Cadillac F1
2 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Valtteri Bottas
Team profile
- Team name Mercedes
- Base Brackley, Germany
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Nico Rosberg 4
- Nico Rosberg 6
- Michael Schumacher 7
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 9
- Lewis Hamilton 10
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli 12
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- George Russell 63
- Valtteri Bottas 77
- 638,662 comments on Mercedes
- 59 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Mercedes
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