Mercedes has activated a plan B for the Singapore Grand Prix after leaving Sepang with more questions than answers over its latest W17 upgrade package. The team will carry out a direct comparison between its old and new specifications in an attempt to establish whether the problems experienced in Malaysia came from the new components themselves or from an incorrect setup window.
The Singapore weekend will also be more difficult for George Russell, with Mercedes confirming that the British driver will start Sunday’s Grand Prix from the back of the grid following the power-unit failure that ended his race at Sepang.
Mercedes launches W17 comparison after disappointing Sepang upgrades
Mercedes had expected its Malaysian upgrade package to deliver a performance gain of at least three tenths of a second according to its internal targets. Those three tenths did not materialise on track, raising concern within the team, particularly because the new specification also appeared to weaken one of the W17’s traditional strengths.
According to Mercedes’ internal analysis, the additional aerodynamic load was evident through the faster corners and both drivers could feel the extra downforce generated by the new components. On the straights, however, the W17 showed no advantage over Red Bull, despite straight-line efficiency having been one of the Mercedes car’s strongest characteristics for much of the season.
The W17 has consistently featured a strong chassis without necessarily being the outright benchmark through every type of corner, but its aerodynamic efficiency has traditionally helped it achieve excellent straight-line performance. The latest development package had been intended to increase downforce without imposing a significant drag penalty, or at least to produce a compromise favourable enough to justify the changes.
Instead, Mercedes also encountered persistent understeer from Friday onwards, particularly through the slower corners. The problem became significant enough that the drivers were using the throttle to help rotate the car.
Understeer and tyre degradation complicated Mercedes setup
That driving technique inevitably increased rear-tyre degradation and created a vicious circle that forced Mercedes to make further setup changes throughout the weekend.
It raised an important question for the team: were the difficulties genuinely caused by the latest upgrade package, or had Mercedes simply failed to find the correct setup window on a circuit featuring extremely high temperatures and an unusually abrasive surface?
The issue builds on earlier uncertainty surrounding Mercedes’ development programme, with Toto Wolff previously admitting that Mercedes was behind with its W17 upgrades while identifying further potential.
Mercedes confirms old vs new W17 package comparison in Singapore
Mercedes has therefore confirmed that it will conduct a direct comparison between the two packages during the Singapore weekend, dividing the programme between its two cars to obtain a clearer picture.
Given the limited running available during a Sprint weekend, changing packages immediately after FP1 may not be practical. That means George Russell and Kimi Antonelli could potentially remain on different aerodynamic specifications throughout the entire weekend.
“Malaysia was a very difficult weekend for us. We have worked to understand why our performance was not at the level it should have been. We have identified several areas that require further investigation, but Formula 1 does not offer simple answers and we need more information before drawing definitive conclusions,” Toto Wolff explained ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
“Singapore gives us an immediate opportunity to continue this work. The characteristics of the circuit are very different and that will help us build a clearer picture of our situation. For this reason, we will evaluate both the latest upgrade package and the previous specification over the course of the weekend, so that we can fully understand the direction we need to take.”
Kimi Antonelli expects clearer answers from Singapore
Kimi Antonelli had already suggested that Singapore should provide Mercedes with more representative conclusions about its latest developments, despite the Sprint format reducing the amount of testing available.
The compressed schedule will also require the drivers to build confidence quickly around the barriers of a circuit that retains a strong street-track character.
Unlike Malaysia, where Mercedes faced a compromise between performance through high-speed and slower corners, Marina Bay is dominated more heavily by low- and medium-speed turns. That should make it easier to target a particular setup direction, although the street surface and its bumps will encourage teams towards softer configurations.
The challenge is not entirely new for Mercedes. At Monaco, the team dominated the weekend but initially struggled during Friday practice with setup stiffness. The car showed a tendency to lift one of its tyres in critical sections and could not attack the kerbs effectively before Mercedes found the right direction from Saturday onwards by revising the setup.
Singapore also features a different asphalt surface, adding another variable to the comparison.
Sepang asphalt may have distorted Mercedes upgrade picture
Sepang featured one of the most abrasive surfaces of the entire season. That characteristic influences both tyre behaviour and the aerodynamic performance of the car.
The effect was even more pronounced with the previous generation of ground-effect cars, but it remains relevant with the current machinery because it can force a car to operate in a different performance window, particularly when combined with the high temperatures experienced in Malaysia.
Singapore’s contrasting characteristics should therefore help Mercedes establish whether its Malaysian problems were inherent to the new W17 package or mainly the result of track conditions and setup choices.
Mercedes confirms George Russell will start from the back
For George Russell, the Singapore challenge will be even greater. Mercedes has confirmed that the British driver will start from the back of the grid after replacing power-unit components following the mechanical failure he suffered in Malaysia.
The original plan had been to continue using the available components until Austin, a circuit more suitable for recovery drives, before introducing the updated turbo developed under the ADUO provisions.
However, the engine failure at Sepang forced Mercedes to alter that programme and replace components on George Russell’s car already in Singapore.
“George then has the additional challenge of a Power Unit penalty, which will force him to start from the back of the grid on Sunday after the engine failure in Malaysia,” Toto Wolff confirmed.
“It’s particularly frustrating considering how he drove last weekend and the result he deserved to be fighting for. Unfortunately, these things are part of the sport and now our objective is to put him in the best possible position to recover and take advantage of every opportunity.”
“We need to maximise this final Sprint weekend of the year, continue learning and achieve the best possible result with both cars.”
With only one free-practice session before Sprint Qualifying, Mercedes will have little time to validate its conclusions. The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix Sprint schedule therefore turns the old-versus-new W17 comparison into an especially important test as the team attempts to determine its development direction for the closing stages of the season.
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