Kimi Antonelli believes that Mercedes can “discover a solution” as to why their most up-to-date upgrades haven’t delivered the supposed efficiency enhance, with the Italian set to run a brand new entrance wing designed to enrich the bundle in Singapore.
Whereas rival groups equivalent to Ferrari and Purple Bull launched pretty common updates over the season, Mercedes opted to attend till the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia to make main adjustments to their challenger, together with altered bodywork and changes to the ground.
They’d hoped that these would reinstate the efficiency benefit they loved earlier within the season, however that didn’t fairly come to fruition. As an alternative, Purple Bull’s Max Verstappen transformed pole place right into a win for the primary time in 2026, whereas George Russell retired as a result of a mechanical subject.
Though Antonelli nonetheless completed on the rostrum behind Verstappen, the race confirmed that Mercedes have work to do with a purpose to optimise their present bundle over the remaining rounds.
Requested whether or not a brand new entrance wing will assist the upgrades to carry out as they need to, Antonelli responded: “That is the query we are going to attempt to reply. George goes again on the outdated bundle, which we all know works very well, particularly on these sorts of tracks.
“On my aspect, we’ll attempt to discover a solution for this bundle. Hopefully we are going to perceive it extra and at last strike the potential of the bundle. In fact we’ll have the entrance wing, though it is only one entrance wing, however let’s have a look at.
“I feel Sepang general was a little bit little bit of an outlier due to the tarmac, the excessive temperatures, however hopefully this weekend we will put the automotive in a greater place and simply extract extra out of the bundle.”
Alongside reverting to a earlier specification, Russell can even obtain a major grid penalty for exceeding his energy unit allocation, giving Antonelli a possibility to additional improve his benefit within the drivers’ standings.
He presently leads his crew mate by 84 factors, however insisted that his consideration stays on working to get probably the most out of Mercedes’ upgrades slightly than desirous about the continued battle towards Russell.
“I’ve dedicated with the brand new bundle and I’ll commit for the entire weekend,” he mentioned. “There isn’t any method to return to it as a result of it is a large job for the crew.
“We’ll attempt to do the most effective with what we’ve however I am extra assured coming to this weekend as a result of I really feel like hopefully we could have a greater understanding of the bundle and we will extract extra of its potential.
“We’ll attempt to win. That is the mindset and naturally, George is beginning on the again but it surely does not imply something. On my aspect I simply attempt to concentrate on what I can management and attempt to ship the most effective efficiency as I can and if I can win the race, nice.
“If I’ve to do a podium, I’ll do a podium. I am actually trying ahead to the weekend and hopefully we will obtain an amazing consequence with the crew.”
