Mercedes seeks to break its pole position dry spell with the forthcoming upgrades for the Malaysia F1 race.

Although Mercedes dominated the first six grands prix, they have secured only four wins out of the last eight, as McLaren and Ferrari have made strides, each claiming two victories during that stretch.

However, the German team is optimistic about reasserting its dominance during the Malaysian race weekend scheduled for October 2-4, following the Baku event, as the Asian venue makes its return to the F1 calendar in place of Bahrain.

On the Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show podcast, trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin remarked, “We don’t have many new updates for Baku, but that’s a track where drag is more crucial than downforce.

“The car performed well in Monza, so we hope it will also suit Baku. However, a car with good straight-line speed is essential.

Toto Wolff, Mercedes, James Allison, Mercedes, Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes

“There are other factors to consider in Baku, such as the street circuit layout, which requires a Monaco-like ability to handle low-speed corners while keeping all wheels grounded.

“The updates will start arriving from Malaysia onward, and we’re hopeful for a significant improvement.

“I don’t expect to be leading by a wide margin, but hopefully, we’ll be in a position to approach qualifying with the confidence of competing for pole.”

Despite Mercedes clinching victories in the last two races - Monza and Madrid - thanks to the outstanding performance of Kimi Antonelli, they haven’t secured pole position since he set the fastest time at Spa in July.

This marks a streak of four races, three of which saw McLaren’s Lando Norris take pole, a stark contrast to the beginning of the 2026 season when the Silver Arrows claimed pole in each of the first ten rounds.

“Earlier in the season, we approached races believing we had a car capable of securing pole if we executed well,” Shovlin added.

“We should be contending for race wins. Now, the difference between finishing first and sixth is often just a couple of tenths, making predictions challenging, especially since Monza is such a unique circuit.

“It demands a car that is efficient with low drag, and then you have a new circuit like Madring that presents a completely different challenge. But our focus remains on maximizing the car’s potential, and if we win, that’s fantastic.”