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Mercedes will fit both George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli's cars with their new front wing for the final two days of the United States Grand Prix weekend. The upgraded component originally debuted in Singapore, but was removed from Antonelli's car after just one practice session.
While the German outfit has not brought extensive upgrades to Texas, the relatively new element will now be fully utilized. Its initial withdrawal in Singapore was not due to performance issues, but rather because the team only had a single spare available and chose not to risk running it under race conditions.
At the Austin circuit, both drivers now have the latest specification at their disposal. It forms a key part of the development package that began rolling out earlier in Malaysia.
The weekend is shaping up to be crucial for the Silver Arrows. While the revised aerodynamics deliver greater downforce, engineers have struggled to extract consistent pace from the car, and dialing in the optimal setup remains a major challenge.
To gather accurate comparative data in Singapore, Antonelli ran the new parts while Russell reverted to the older specification, allowing the team to conduct a detailed analysis of the car's behavior.
Antonelli and Mercedes see positive progress
The young Italian driver struck an optimistic tone regarding the car's development following their post-race debriefs:
"After Singapore, we were able to look closely at the telemetry, and we now have a much better understanding of what this package requires. We're still searching for the car's sweet spot, but we are definitely moving in the right direction," Antonelli explained.
Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin also noted encouraging signs following free practice in the US:
"The balance issues have eased, and the car's handling has become far more predictable, which immediately translated into improved lap times," Shovlin commented.
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