George Russell has given Mercedes’ older W17 aerodynamic configuration a clear vote of confidence after qualifying second for the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint, while teammate Kimi Antonelli managed only seventh with the newer package. The contrasting results have added another important data point to Mercedes’ ongoing comparison between its two specifications at Marina Bay.
The result was one of the more surprising aspects of Sprint Qualifying for Mercedes, particularly because of the performance gap between its two cars. George Russell ran the older aerodynamic configuration, while Kimi Antonelli continued with the newer package first introduced at Sepang.
George Russell reaches front row with older Mercedes W17 setup
George Russell qualified second and could even be promoted to pole position depending on the outcome of the investigation involving Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen set the fastest time but was under investigation for potentially overtaking Lewis Hamilton under yellow flags. A grid penalty would move George Russell to the front of the Sprint grid, giving the British driver an opportunity to score additional points on Saturday.
That would be particularly valuable because George Russell faces a far more difficult task in Sunday’s Grand Prix. He is due to start from the back of the grid following a power unit change, making the Sprint an important chance to maximise his weekend.
Discussing Mercedes’ specification comparison after qualifying, George Russell made clear that the older configuration had performed well.
“I can absolutely confirm that the old configuration isn’t bad,” George Russell told Formula 1’s official channel. “We’ll see how it goes tomorrow with Kimi running the upgrades for the team. There’s nothing that isn’t working, but ultimately everything is decided by the stopwatch, and it hasn’t been going brilliantly for the upgrades so far. We’ll see, maybe tomorrow will be different.”
Mercedes upgrade comparison continues at Singapore GP
Mercedes has been using the Singapore weekend to compare the specification it ran up to Baku with the newer package introduced in Malaysia. The exercise has become increasingly significant after Kimi Antonelli struggled throughout Friday with the latest version of the W17.
The championship leader qualified seventh with the newer package, a result that contrasted sharply with George Russell’s front-row performance. That follows a difficult opening day in which Kimi Antonelli found his Mercedes difficult and unpredictable to drive.
The comparison remains an important part of Mercedes’ development work. Although George Russell’s result is encouraging for the older configuration, the British driver also stressed that the team still needs to understand how the newer parts perform over the remainder of the weekend rather than reaching an immediate final conclusion.
Kimi Antonelli admits Mercedes is still struggling with new package
Kimi Antonelli had fewer words after qualifying. The Formula 1 championship leader could go no higher than seventh with the latest aerodynamic package, which Mercedes first used at Sepang.
He nevertheless hopes the team can find a solution before Saturday’s Sprint.
“The weekend is really an uphill battle,” Kimi Antonelli said. “We’re definitely still struggling with this new package. It’s a shame, but we’ll try to find a solution for tomorrow.”
The difference between the two Mercedes cars has therefore become one of the most important technical questions of the Singapore weekend. George Russell’s performance with the older configuration suggests that Mercedes still has strong pace available, but Kimi Antonelli’s difficulties underline the work that remains before the newer specification can be judged a clear step forward.
With Sprint running limiting the amount of practice available, Mercedes now has little time to understand whether setup changes can unlock more from Kimi Antonelli’s package. The outcome of that work could prove important not only for Singapore but also for how the team approaches the remaining races of the 2026 season.
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