George Russell will take to the track in a Mercedes that retains the older aerodynamic specification, while his teammate Kimi Antonelli will run the newer, upgraded package at the Singapore Grand Prix. The split in specifications is part of the team’s effort to pinpoint why the upgrades introduced at the Malaysian round failed to deliver the anticipated performance gains. Mercedes introduced their first major update to the W17 since the end of May for the race in Sepang.
Instead of the expected boost, the team endured a difficult weekend, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull dominating the event and securing the first victory of the season for his squad. In response, the team decided to run two distinct configurations over the entire Singapore sprint weekend.
Russell, who will start from the back of the grid on Sunday because of an engine‑change penalty after his power unit failed in the previous race, will revert to the older aero package that last saw action in Baku. Antonelli, by contrast, will continue with the newer package that debuted with mixed results in Malaysia. Russell explained that the idea originated with him.
"I actually brought it up before the race on Sunday," he said, noting that the decision became a "no‑brainer" once it was clear he would be starting from the back anyway. "We were about 50‑50 on the plan before the race, and I was leaning toward the split. After the failure, it just made sense." He added that the older package is the same one that helped him secure a memorable win in Azerbaijan two races ago. "It’s back!" he exclaimed, referring to the Baku‑spec W17.
Russell described the Malaysian weekend as "the worst of the year for us in terms of pace and qualifying" and suggested that, had his power unit not failed, a podium finish might have been possible. He stressed that there is no clear evidence the upgrade itself was at fault; in Formula 1, performance is measured by lap times, not by down‑force figures, and the lap times in Malaysia were simply not good enough. The newer package on Antonelli’s car will be complemented by a front wing that was originally slated for the Sepang upgrade but was omitted there.
"I hope the upgrade on Kimi’s side works as we expect, because as a team we need it to," Russell said. "The front wing we have this weekend was missing in Malaysia, and that could be part of why the package didn’t click there." Antonelli echoed the optimism, saying, "I hope the front wing makes the difference – that’s the question we’ll answer on track." He acknowledged that the Baku‑spec car has proven its speed, but emphasized the importance of extracting the full potential from the new package. "The team has put a tremendous amount of work into this upgrade, and it would be a shame to discard it early," he said.
Antonelli confirmed that he will stay with the upgraded configuration for the entire weekend, even if the older spec proves quicker in the sprint. While Antonelli will aim for a strong result in both the sprint race and the main Grand Prix, Russell’s ambitions are tempered by his engine‑change penalty, which will drop him to the back of the grid on Sunday. He will, however, run a fresh power unit throughout the weekend, albeit without the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) upgrade that Mercedes plans to introduce later in the season. The ADUO package is scheduled to debut at the United States Grand Prix two weeks from now.
Mercedes had originally hoped to align the introduction of the ADUO upgrade with the fifth‑engine penalty that Russell is due to serve, but the timing will not work out as planned. "We were waiting to take the penalty together with the ADUO update, but now we have to serve it here," Russell explained. With seven races left, the team will need to manage engine allocations carefully, and Russell anticipates another penalty before the season concludes.
Despite the setbacks, Russell remains determined to make the most of his weekend in Singapore, a circuit he won last year. "All‑out attack, just trying to enjoy the weekend," he said. "If I could choose when to take the penalty, Singapore would be near the bottom of the list, after Monaco, but we had no choice. Singapore is a place I love, and I’ll try to carve my way through the pack." The schedule for the Singapore event is as follows: - Friday, 9 October – Practice starts at 9:30 am, followed by the Team Bosses' press conference at 11:30 am and Sprint Qualifying at 1:30 pm.
- Saturday, 10 October – Sprint build‑up at 9 am, Sprint race at 10 am, Qualifying build‑up at 1 pm, Qualifying at 2 pm, and Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 4 pm. - Sunday, 11 October – Grand Prix build‑up at 11:30 am, the race at 1 pm, post‑race reaction at 3 pm, and Ted’s Notebook at 4 pm. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a contract.
The weekend marks the final sprint event of the season, offering both teams and drivers a crucial opportunity to gather data, test upgrades, and fight for valuable championship points before the season heads into its concluding stages.