Mercedes endured a difficult Singapore Sprint, leaving Marina Bay with one fourth-place finish and one retirement as the team’s split between the older W17 specification and the newer package continued to produce contrasting results. George Russell had taken the lead after an excellent start from second but later crashed out, while Kimi Antonelli capitalised on trouble ahead to extend his advantage in the World Championship.
The session highlighted a clear contrast inside Mercedes. Russell again looked comfortable with the older specification of the W17, while Antonelli continued with the newer version despite persistent balance problems and made it clear that he still believes in its long-term potential.
George Russell loses Singapore Sprint lead after costly mistake
Saturday at Marina Bay began badly for Mercedes despite a promising opening phase. After starting from second, George Russell made an excellent getaway and moved into the lead of the Sprint, overtaking Max Verstappen in the early stages.
The British driver appeared to have rediscovered his confidence in the W17’s older configuration. That impression had already been reinforced by his second place in Sprint Qualifying, where the older package again proved competitive.
However, Russell then made a significant mistake in the difficult track conditions and was unable to continue.
Russell admits “stupid mistake” after retirement
“It was a miscalculation. I approached the corner, I had more battery than I thought and I ran wide. Stupid mistake, big consequences,” George Russell said after the race.
Russell therefore took responsibility for the incident and dismissed the idea that the lower-downforce characteristics of the W17 Spec 1 had caused the problem. Instead, it was the extra electrical deployment that contributed to him running wide and losing control of the car.
The result was especially painful given how strong Russell had looked earlier in the weekend. Mercedes had already shown encouraging speed with the older package, while the team’s broader development picture has remained a key talking point throughout 2026. The contrast can also be viewed in the context of Mercedes’ ongoing W17 development situation.
Kimi Antonelli salvages fourth after McLaren double retirement
On the other side of the garage, Kimi Antonelli once again benefited from events ahead of him and extended his championship lead. The Italian managed his race carefully and took advantage of the double retirement suffered by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to finish fourth.
The result brought Antonelli five valuable points, but it was far from a straightforward Sprint. During the race, he repeatedly complained over the radio about the car, which continued to suffer from major balance problems.
Despite those difficulties, Antonelli remains convinced by the potential of the newer W17 package. Unlike Russell, he has no intention of reverting to the older specification.
Antonelli continues to believe in Mercedes’ newer W17 package
Antonelli explained that Mercedes is learning more about the car through data analysis, particularly in terms of its aerodynamic behaviour. The team has therefore continued working to understand how to extract more from the newer package rather than abandoning it.
Mercedes made relatively few changes between Friday’s Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint itself, which meant Antonelli’s level of performance remained broadly similar across the two sessions.
The Italian did, however, reveal that the team was preparing major set-up changes ahead of qualifying for the Grand Prix. That suggests Mercedes intends to use the next session to explore a more aggressive direction with the newer specification.
The broader question is whether that work can close the performance gap between the two Mercedes configurations. Russell has looked increasingly comfortable with the older package, while Antonelli continues to put his faith in the newer concept.
The championship context makes that choice even more important, with Antonelli still leading the standings and every point carrying added weight. The latest situation can be followed through the updated Formula 1 driver standings.
Mercedes faces key Singapore qualifying decision
Antonelli is not giving up on the W17 Neo. He continues to trust the car, the work of the team and his own ability to extract the maximum from the package available to him.
Whether Mercedes can turn that confidence into a stronger result during the rest of the Singapore weekend will depend heavily on the changes made before qualifying. Russell’s performance with the older specification has demonstrated that the team has speed available, but the challenge now is to make the newer version work more consistently.
For Ferrari’s perspective on the same Marina Bay weekend, the key Singapore Sprint challenge identified by Fred Vasseur provides additional context on how demanding the circuit has been for the leading teams.
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