I was not writing Mercedes off. I simply anticipate the AMR25 to be a more balanced platform for Fred and (?.)
Mercedes is not going to fix their balance issues until they figure out the optimal cockpit position. I am by no means an aerodynamicist, however, IMO, I still see the W15 balance issues stemming from less than optimal cockpit geometry. To me, that is start from the ground up in a new chassis. However, that would be 2026. I'd be willing to wager there is not much going into the W16 at this point......
A more racy W16 would be good for the sport. So we will see.......