After a series of difficult weekends in the 2025 Formula 1 season, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team finally had something to smile about at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Both the team and its drivers, George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, regained some much-needed confidence—thanks in part to the decision to revert to an earlier version of the car’s rear suspension, which seemed to improve overall vehicle stability and predictability.
George Russell‘s third-place finish at the Hungaroring was not only a morale boost, but also provided a clearer direction for the technical team. While the result itself was positive, Russell remained cautious in his post-race analysis, warning that multiple factors contributed to the performance and that it would be premature to claim a full turnaround.
The Hungarian Grand Prix acted as a crucial checkpoint for Mercedes, who had been struggling to understand the problems plaguing the updated W16 car. In particular, attention turned to the new rear suspension, first introduced at Imola and trialled again in Canada, which had sparked internal debate due to inconsistent results.
Ahead of the Budapest weekend, Mercedes opted to abandon the newer suspension in favour of the more stable configuration used earlier in the season. The goal was twofold: return to a more predictable technical base and restore confidence for both drivers. While the updated suspension offered theoretical advantages—like better braking stability due to altered geometry—it also introduced new challenges, especially a less stable rear end in high-speed corners.
According to Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, “Over the past three circuits, we’ve seen clear struggles in high-speed corners. The drivers reported instability at corner entry and a general lack of confidence in the car.”
This instability was particularly problematic for rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who, due to his aggressive driving style and limited F1 experience, found the unpredictable rear end more difficult to manage than teammate George Russell, who was able to compensate to some extent by taking bigger risks with setup choices, as seen in Austria, Silverstone, and Spa-Francorchamps.
Interestingly, these rear-end issues were less evident in Canada—thanks to its layout of heavy braking zones and medium-speed corners that suited the revised suspension. In Hungary, although the track layout is different, it also features mostly medium and low-speed corners, which somewhat masked the instability issues.
A second key factor to consider was aerodynamic load. On fast circuits like the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, and Spa, teams tend to run low-downforce setups to gain straight-line speed. This compromises rear-end grip and can exacerbate handling issues. Mercedes had pursued this route to make up for time lost in corners. For example, at Spa, the W16 was fastest in sectors 1 and 3, but lost nearly a second in the tighter, more technical middle sector.
Hungary, with its short straights and abundance of slow-speed corners, encouraged teams—including Mercedes—to run high-downforce setups. This added rear load naturally improved stability, as demonstrated by Aston Martin’s strong result, which was their best of the season. This performance could not have been achieved by simply shifting the aero balance; Hungary’s layout demanded full high-downforce wings.
Even with all this, Mercedes engineers believe the data collected in Hungary provided clarity. Returning to the old suspension layout seems to have yielded measurable benefits, and this configuration will serve as the base setup for the remainder of the season. The team has already confirmed it will not introduce any major upgrades before the end of the year.
Still, the W16 has not suddenly transformed into a front-runner. Even with the older suspension, Mercedes was only the fourth-fastest team in Spain. This is why George Russell, despite celebrating a podium in Hungary, was careful not to overstate its significance.
Weather conditions also played a role. Track temperatures dropped significantly from Friday to Sunday, reducing tyre degradation and helping Mercedes close the gap to competitors. McLaren, in particular, would likely have extended their advantage in hotter conditions. That cooler temperatures also caused tighter gaps between the top ten in qualifying shows how marginal performance differences are.
“We took a step back on the upgrades, but it was also a unique weekend,” Russell said. “Just look at McLaren’s results—the finishing order from P3 downward was pretty unusual. Max was out of position, and the Aston Martins also performed better than expected. So I don’t think we should over-interpret this result. Still, in terms of outright performance, aside from Canada, this was our strongest race of the season.”
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