How Mercedes' challenging F1 enhancement has been performing at the Singapore GP

Ultimately, both drivers finished a disappointing 12th and 13th in Q1 on Saturday, 1.2 seconds slower than Lewis Hamilton. However, Antonelli made the most significant improvement throughout qualifying—boosting his performance by two seconds to secure fourth place, just 0.189 seconds behind polesitter Max Verstappen.

This was a positive sign for the Italian, who had previously described the revised W17 as “very difficult, very unpredictable and very challenging to put a lap together” after sprint qualifying on Friday night.

When asked by Motorsport.com if the previous two days had clarified matters, Antonelli replied: “Yes, yes, definitely.”

“We are beginning to understand what the package can offer us. Nevertheless, it's still challenging to find the optimal setup. We made significant progress with the setup today, and the car appears to be in a better position, even if it means sacrificing some performance.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

“However, the car seemed to function better. Still, the optimal window is very narrow and sensitive, particularly during qualifying—when attempting to push harder as the track improves, the car reacts quite differently to additional inputs, such as braking later and combining more.”

“So, the operating window remains limited, but the team did an excellent job in turning things around, and we are starting to gain insights. If we felt lost in Malaysia, we now have a clearer direction.”

Due to the restricted operating window, establishing a functional setup proved challenging. “To be honest, we completely reversed our setup, and the car responded positively,” Antonelli clarified.

“Yesterday, the car was sliding all over the place, so we aimed to stabilize it a bit, sacrificing some aerodynamic performance for a more stable platform.”

“Yet, even though it was more manageable to drive, the operating window was still quite limited. But we are beginning to see what the package brings and identifying areas for improvement, which is encouraging.”

Russell acknowledged the advancements but highlighted that Mercedes is still not performing at its usual level.

“It was encouraging to see Kimi more competitive today compared to yesterday,” the Brit noted. “However, we weren’t exactly setting the timing screens ablaze.”

George Russell, Mercedes

“As a team, we’re still not content with our position regarding the new package. We recognize the need for setup adjustments to adapt to the changes, so perhaps we can find a way to optimize our performance. But for now, we require more time.”

Antonelli agrees and is optimistic that the next grand prix at Circuit of The Americas will offer a better chance to understand the new upgrade.

“In Austin, we will return to a more typical weekend, and I believe we can explore much more,” the young driver stated. “It would be ideal to have two cars with the same specifications to test different setups—because the team has worked hard to bring this package, and while it has shown improvements in certain areas, it has also altered the performance window in a new direction.”

“So, we need to continue working and exploring. But I’m confident that once we discover the right operating window, we will be able to unlock the full potential of the package.”