Mercedes continues a cautious step forward with its upgraded W17 at Singapore, debuting revised floor and sidepods that start to yield performance, most notably in Kimi Antonelli’s hands.

The team split specs to accelerate learning. Antonelli ran the updated bodywork, while George Russell used the previous package after exceeding his power unit quota and starting from the back.

Early pace favoured Russell. In sprint qualifying he averaged around six‑tenths quicker than Antonelli, as the older car proved easier to place in Singapore’s slow, traction‑limited sections.

Russell’s sprint crash then compromised his car. Subsequent short-form qualifying proved messy, with both drivers off their usual level and about 1.2s shy of Lewis Hamilton’s benchmark.

Antonelli later unlocked significant time, trimming roughly two seconds and qualifying fourth, less than two‑tenths from Max Verstappen’s pole. That swing underlined the upgrade’s potential, despite its evident sensitivity.

Antonelli described a car that reacts sharply to small setup changes. Mercedes traded some peak load for stability, improving driveability while it maps the narrow window of the revised package.

Russell echoed the progress but said the team remains short of targets. In his view of Mercedes’ upgrades, he argues more setup iteration is needed to release lap time.

To accelerate correlation, Mercedes plans further split‑spec running across upcoming events, including Circuit of The Americas. The goal is to bracket setups and locate robust baselines for varied track demands.

Singapore’s split run delivered context. Combined with Singapore sprint qualifying analysis and Antonelli’s upgrade feedback, it suggests the package works when its narrow window is respected.

Internally, the team believes further development work will be required to unlock the upgrade’s full potential. That process will continue alongside Antonelli’s learning curve in the refreshed package.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.