Antonelli calls upgraded Mercedes “very unpredictable” after Russell beats him again

News Summary

• Kimi Antonelli described the upgraded Mercedes W17 as “very unpredictable” after finishing seventh in Singapore sprint qualifying.
• George Russell qualified second with the older specification, 0.573s faster than his championship-leading teammate.
• Antonelli says Mercedes still has considerable work to do to understand the updated package before Saturday’s sprint.

Kimi Antonelli has admitted that Mercedes’ upgraded W17 remains difficult to understand and unpredictable, after finishing seventh in Singapore GP sprint qualifying while teammate George Russell secured a front-row start with the older aerodynamic specification.

The championship leader struggled throughout Friday’s running at Marina Bay, finishing seventh in both the only free-practice session and sprint qualifying. Russell, meanwhile, topped FP1 before qualifying second, just 0.120s behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen.

The contrast has intensified questions surrounding Mercedes’ major upgrade introduced at Sepang, with the team running different aerodynamic configurations in Singapore to determine whether its latest development has delivered the expected improvement.

Antonelli admits Mercedes upgrade remains difficult to understand

Antonelli acknowledged that he had been struggling with the updated package since the opening practice session.

“Already in FP1, I was struggling; there is still a lot to understand about this package,” the Italian said after sprint qualifying.

“And for sure, I’m going to try to improve the driving a little bit, uh, and then let’s see, we’ll see tomorrow where we end up.”

The 20-year-old has continued using the aerodynamic update introduced in Malaysia, while Russell returned to the previous specification after Mercedes failed to establish whether the new package had delivered the expected performance.

Antonelli’s difficulties were evident in both Friday sessions, although the team is still analysing whether the difference comes from the aerodynamic package, setup or driving characteristics.

Russell beats Antonelli by more than half a second

Sprint qualifying provided Mercedes with its most meaningful comparison of the two specifications so far.

Russell secured second place with a 1:31.276, missing pole to Verstappen by just 0.120s. Antonelli finished seventh with a 1:31.849, leaving him 0.573s behind his teammate.

The Italian also finished behind both Ferraris and both McLarens, while Russell placed his Mercedes on the front row for Saturday’s sprint.

Mercedes had already seen a similar contrast in FP1, where Russell set the fastest time with the older package. However, different tyre compounds made the practice results difficult to compare directly.

The sprint qualifying outcome provided additional evidence of Russell’s competitiveness with the previous configuration, although the team has not concluded that the older specification is inherently faster.

Wolff admits new Mercedes is harder to drive

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had already acknowledged that the upgraded W17 appeared more demanding after comparing the two cars in FP1.

“There is a similar pattern: the new car seems a little more complicated to drive. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s slower, because there are positive aspects to it, but perhaps we still haven’t found a way to combine everything and get the package right,” Wolff explained.

“The old car is a little more stable and has more grip, but we’re talking about just one free-practice session. We need more time to reach definitive conclusions.”

As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported after FP1, the team is attempting to identify the strongest characteristics of both aerodynamic packages.

Mercedes invested several months developing the Sepang update, making it important to establish whether its performance limitations are related to the package itself or the way the team has configured the car.

Antonelli faces difficult sprint from seventh

Antonelli will start Saturday’s sprint from seventh, behind Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Piastri, Norris and Hamilton.

The Italian leads Russell by 84 points in the Drivers’ Championship, but the sprint offers his teammate an opportunity to reduce that advantage before Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Russell’s engine penalty does not apply to the sprint, allowing him to start second and compete for the eight points available to the winner.

If the two Mercedes drivers finish where they qualified, Russell would score seven points and Antonelli two, reducing the championship gap by five.

The complete Singapore GP schedule, including sprint and broadcast information is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO‘s weekend guide. GRANDE PRÊMIO follows the latest Formula 1 news throughout the Singapore GP weekend.

F1 today: FAQ

What time is Singapore GP sprint qualifying today?

Sprint qualifying starts at 20:30 Singapore time on Friday, October 9, equivalent to 13:30 BST in the UK, 08:30 ET in the United States and Canada, and 18:00 IST in India. The session determines the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint.

Who was fastest in Singapore GP FP1?

George Russell topped FP1 with a 1:32.274, driving Mercedes’ older W17 aerodynamic specification. Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.198s behind, followed by Lando Norris in third. Kimi Antonelli was seventh with the upgraded Mercedes, while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th.

Why is George Russell using the old Mercedes at the Singapore GP?

Mercedes is comparing its previous W17 specification with the aerodynamic upgrade introduced at Sepang. Russell is using the older package, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli retains the new version. Russell led FP1, but differences in tyre compounds and run programmes mean the result alone does not establish which specification is faster.

What did Kimi Antonelli say about Mercedes’ upgrade?

Antonelli admitted that he struggled with the updated W17 throughout Friday and said Mercedes still has considerable work to do to understand the package.