Mercedes will run its W17 Formula 1 car in split specifications for the Singapore Grand Prix, with Kimi Antonelli primed to run its Sepang updates once more as George Russell switches back to the car he had in Baku.
The team introduced a new floor and bodywork package for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, featuring revised floor boards behind the front wheels plus a ramped upper sidepod surface.
Mercedes has reported that, although both drivers enjoyed higher levels of downforce in the high-speed corners, the unique conditions present at last weekend’s race has made it difficult for the team to fully understand the behaviour of the new package. The W17 appeared to struggle with the rough track surface over the weekend, forcing the drivers into using mid-corner throttle to balance the rear end.
To further its understanding of the Sepang package, it will split its two cars. Russell stated that this was a “no-brainer” given that he will also take a grid penalty for a change of power unit components at Singapore, and will likely start towards the back.
“Actually I instigated the conversation prior to the race on Sunday,” Russell revealed in Singapore. “When the failure happened it was kind of a no-brainer, because we were kind of 50-50 about it pre-race, and I was more in favour to do it, and that was even pre-race, whereas now it is a total no-brainer.
“There’s no signs telling us the upgrade was not working, and we know the car we had in Baku was the same car as we had in Budapest and Zandvoort, and in Baku we were on pole by eight tenths, and in Budapest we were four tenths off the pace.
“Those fluctuations, even with a consistent car and your rivals with the same car, are drastic, you have a fluctuation of plus or minus one second, it can be that delta, so we’re pretty confident it’s a Malaysia specific.
“When you look at the pace of Red Bull as well, they clearly overperformed compared to where they’ve been this season, compared to all of the other teams. When you look at our pace compared to McLaren and Ferrari, it wasn’t too dissimilar, it wasn’t massively out of step.
“This engine penalty this weekend has given us a good opportunity to roll back, it’s the car that I won in Baku with.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Srinivasa Krishnan
Antonelli says that he will be committing to the package throughout the weekend and will not jump back to the older specification, even if the sprint sessions indicate that the pre-Sepang parts offer equitable levels of performance.
The championship leader is confident that the new parts will demonstrate an increase in performance, and that Sepang was ultimately an outlier event.
“The numbers told us a different story in Sepang, but I think in Sepang, it was a bit of an outlier because the tarmac was just so rough. Actually, in some corners, we were missing tarmac.
“Also, it was so hot; at times we had 60-plus degrees track temperature. So I think it was a bit of an outlier and definitely I feel like this weekend is going to be a bit more representative.
“You know, cooler temperatures, the tarmac is in a much better state. And I think it’s going to be a very good test because in Sepang, we struggled a lot in low speed and here we have a lot of low speed. So let’s see how it’s going to be.
“We’ll have two different cars on two different packages. So that is going to be interesting to see how we’re going to have a straight comparison on that side.
“I think there’s an actual improvement [with the new package], it’s just we didn’t quite see it in Sepang. That’s why it was such an outlier.
“Hopefully this weekend, we’ll 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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