Kimi Antonelli moved another step closer to the 2026 Formula 1 world championship with third place at the Singapore Grand Prix, but Mercedes left Marina Bay with major questions still surrounding its updated W17 package. The Italian delivered a mature race and secured an important podium, yet both Antonelli and Toto Wolff admitted that the new specification has not yet produced the expected performance gain.
The 15 points added to Antonelli’s championship total tell only part of the story. Singapore was a difficult weekend for Mercedes, and the championship leader had to manage a demanding car, extreme heat and even a brake problem before sealing third place with a precise overtake on Lando Norris.
Kimi Antonelli manages difficult Singapore race
Antonelli’s podium was built on patience and consistency rather than outright dominance. After benefiting from a W17 that had often been the strongest car during the first half of the season, he is increasingly having to learn how to limit the damage when Mercedes does not have the fastest package.
That challenge became even harder because of a brake issue during the race.
“At the restart after the Virtual Safety Car, I went to brake and practically nothing happened. I nearly ended up in the wall,” Kimi Antonelli explained. “The pedal was very long and, because of a sensor problem, we didn’t even have the temperature data. I had to rely on feel. The brakes were extremely hot, I could even smell them.”
Toto Wolff highlighted the maturity Antonelli showed in managing the problem and bringing the car home.
“He managed the race well and stayed calm,” the Mercedes team principal said. “He told me he needed to stay focused and make sure he reached the finish. Learning to manage a difficult car while also contributing to its development is an important experience.”
Mercedes W17 upgrade still not convincing
While the driver’s performance offered encouragement, the technical picture remained far less reassuring.
Singapore had been expected to suit the updated W17. Marina Bay places a premium on downforce and traction, characteristics that should have allowed Mercedes’ newer package to demonstrate a clearer step forward.
Instead, Mercedes emerged with a podium while effectively operating as the third-fastest force. That was not enough to suggest the problems seen in recent races had been solved.
The core issue does not appear to be an absence of underlying potential, but the difficulty of accessing it consistently.
“On this track, the new package is still not faster than the previous one,” Antonelli admitted. “With the old configuration, we know exactly how to set up the car. With the new one, we see the potential, I can feel it in some corners, but the operating window is too narrow.”
“The car is very sensitive to the way you approach a corner or a braking zone.”
Toto Wolff admits expected performance gain has not arrived
Mercedes made progress during the Singapore weekend, but the improvement was still below expectations.
Wolff acknowledged that the new configuration requires a fundamentally different setup approach.
“The new car requires a very different setup philosophy. Does it already have the performance we hoped to achieve with the upgrade? Not yet. But we have taken a step in the right direction.”
The comparison between the two specifications used in Singapore produced valuable data for Mercedes. The current direction is to run both cars with the updated package in Austin, although the final decision will only be made after the team completes its technical analysis.
Understanding the behaviour of the package will also be important for Mercedes’ 2027 development work.
Mercedes likely to run both updated cars in Austin
Austin should give Mercedes a much better opportunity to work through the remaining questions because the United States Grand Prix weekend will include three full practice sessions.
Antonelli believes that extra running will be crucial.
“I think the problem is mainly on our side: we are still not extracting the maximum from the new package. In Austin we will have three free practice sessions and we will be able to experiment more with the setup.”
“Hopefully we can finally exploit all of its potential.”
The United States Grand Prix therefore represents an important technical test for Mercedes. It could also become the weekend when Antonelli gets his first mathematical opportunity to seal the championship.
Red Bull resurgence adds pressure on Mercedes
Mercedes’ technical uncertainty is becoming more important because its rivals are improving.
Red Bull has made a clear step forward and Max Verstappen has returned to being a reference at the front of the field.
“You have to recognise the extraordinary work Red Bull has done,” Wolff said. “When Max has a car that responds the way he wants, these are the results. He was clearly the fastest in Singapore, just as he was in Kuala Lumpur.”
Antonelli believes part of the current deficit, however, is self-inflicted by Mercedes.
The team is still failing to extract the full performance of its own updated package, making setup work in Austin particularly significant.
Antonelli approaches first F1 championship match point
Kimi Antonelli will head to Austin with his first mathematical opportunity to win the Formula 1 world championship, but the title chance could arrive during one of Mercedes’ most technically delicate phases of the season.
Ferrari is expected to introduce upgrades in Austin, while Max Verstappen and Red Bull are currently in strong form. The decisive stage of both championships could therefore coincide with a run of races that proves more difficult than Mercedes initially expected.
Wolff is refusing to focus on championship calculations.
“The objective is to keep scoring points without losing too many to our rivals. The title will come, whether it is in Mexico, Brazil or later.”
Antonelli is taking a similar approach.
“I know the championship is close, but I have to keep doing my best. This weekend I could have driven better. If I don’t do my job well, the result won’t come.”
Singapore leaves Mercedes with two very different conclusions
Singapore therefore produced two contrasting certainties for Mercedes.
Antonelli is increasingly showing the composure required to manage the most important phase of his career, even when the car is not at its best. His third-place finish was another demonstration that he can maximise difficult weekends rather than relying solely on superior machinery.
Mercedes, on the other hand, still has to prove that the updated W17 is a genuine step forward. The potential may be present, but the operating window remains narrow and the expected advantage has yet to appear consistently on track.
The championship is moving closer to Antonelli. The technical work at Mercedes, however, is far from finished.
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