Mercedes face ‘magic button’ theory as W17 real speed comes under scrutiny

Mercedes have asserted a commanding dominance in the opening two races of the season, delivering back-to-back one-two finishes in Melbourne and China that swept aside the competition and made their superiority even more evident than pre-season testing had suggested.

Speaking to Sports Diary, the former Ferrari driver said: "I believe it is important that the FIA and F1 also understand what is best for the sport. If there are no regulatory interventions there will be a Mercedes dominance similar to that of the first years of the hybrid era. Ferrari is not that far away and it’s nice to see them battle, but we don’t know if Mercedes is really showing everything it has. Maybe they still have something up their sleeve.

Asked whether Mercedes might have a hidden “magic button”, the Brazilian jokingly replied: “Well yes, maybe they have!”

In the usual preview ahead of the Suzuka weekend, the Austrian acknowledged Mercedes’ strong start to the season but stressed that there is still plenty of work to do. He pointed out that, despite the results in Australia and China, the team had several close calls with reliability on what are still new and fragile cars, and admitted improvements are needed to avoid those issues becoming more costly.

He also underlined that Antonelli’s victory represents only the beginning, with both the driver and the team fully focused on what comes next. Managing expectations and continuing to build consistency at the front will be key, with Mercedes committed to supporting him in that process.

Looking ahead to Japan, he expressed hope that the action seen in the opening rounds will carry over to Suzuka, while noting that overtaking has traditionally been difficult at the circuit. However, he added that the new regulations could help deliver a more entertaining race for the fans.