Antonelli already holds extra trump card over Russell ahead of Singapore GP
Photo: Race Pictures
Updated:
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Tobia is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog with experience at international circuits. Since 2022, he has covered Grands Prix across Europe, delivering reliable coverage and insights from the paddock.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has revealed that he will race with the upgraded package introduced on Mercedes' W17 at last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix in Singapore this weekend, while his teammate George Russell will revert to the previous specification.
Mercedes introduced a substantial seven-part aerodynamic upgrade package at last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, featuring a redesigned floor, revised sidepods and engine cover, as well as modifications to the rear suspension fairings and rear aerodynamic elements.
The changes were intended to improve airflow efficiency and generate additional downforce, with Mercedes estimating a potential gain of around three tenths of a second per lap. However, the expected improvement failed to materialise at Sepang.
Speaking to GPblog and other media in Singapore, the Italian confirmed that Mercedes will run two different specifications of the W17 at Marina Bay, with Antonelli retaining the upgrade package introduced in Malaysia while Russell returns to the previous version. The championship leader explained that the decision will allow the team to conduct a direct comparison between the two configurations and better assess the effectiveness of the latest updates.
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"We'll have two different cars on two different packages. That is gonna be interesting to see how we're gonna have a straight comparison on that side."
Photo: Race Pictures
Asked what he expects from the upgraded package this weekend, Antonelli expressed confidence that the new components represent a genuine step forward, despite Mercedes failing to extract the expected performance gains at Sepang. He believes the Bahrain GP was an unusual weekend and hopes the comparison in Singapore will help the team gain a clearer understanding of the updates, optimise the car's set-up and unlock its full potential.
"That's the thing we're gonna try to understand. Obviously, I stayed on the new package. George is going back on the old, which we know works well. With this one, I think it works well. I think there's an actual improvement. It's just we didn't quite see it in Sepang, and I think, you know, that's why it was such an outlier.
"Hopefully, this weekend, you know, we will be able to understand it more and to put the car in a better place and be able to use its full potential."
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Russell also faces a grid penalty following his retirement in the closing stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which will force him to start from the back of the grid in Singapore. The setback adds another obstacle to an already difficult situation for the Briton, whose position in the championship standings has left him with increasingly slim hopes of remaining in contention for the world title.
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