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Mercedes have shared their initial findings from a direct back-to-back comparison between two different specifications of their W17 challenger, conducted during opening practice at the Singapore Grand Prix.
George Russell set the pace in the opening practice session running the older-spec car, while his teammate and championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished seventh, 1.3 seconds adrift behind the wheel of the updated W17.
However, the headline lap times do not tell the whole story, as both drivers ran different tyre programmes — Russell set his time on softs, whereas Antonelli was on mediums. The Italian also ran wide into the run-off area on his final flying lap.
Nonetheless, the Silver Arrows collected vital baseline data comparing the old and new aerodynamic packages, aiming to determine whether the extensive upgrades introduced at Sepang delivered the expected performance gains.
"The difficulty stemmed from introducing a major upgrade package at Sepang, which is a very specific and unusual track in terms of the track temperatures we saw on Friday and Saturday," explained team principal Toto Wolff. "The track surface was unique, and we weren't sure whether the updates weren't working as expected or if performance was simply dictated by circuit conditions. That's why we decided to split the specs in Singapore, even though this track is quite atypical as well."
"We carried out that experiment in FP1. A certain trend is emerging, but the most important thing is to analyse in detail what works and what doesn't across both specifications. That way, we can cherry-pick the best components and set our development direction to unlock peak performance. Running two different cars isn't ideal, but it's a necessary compromise to ensure we take the right steps for next year too," Wolff added.
The team boss stressed that initial indications suggest the updated package is more challenging to drive, though that does not necessarily mean it lacks ultimate pace.
"The new car appears a bit trickier to handle. That doesn't mean it is slower, because the inherent potential is there, but we probably haven't found the right setup window yet to bring everything together. The older car is more stable and provides better grip, but so far that's data from just one practice session. We will need more track time before drawing definitive conclusions," the Austrian noted.
Wolff noted that mastering this upgrade package is critical for Mercedes, particularly as attention begins shifting towards preparations for the 2027 campaign.
"We have invested several months into this car. The direction definitely looks right, and we just need to make the necessary fine-tuning to find the correct path heading into 2027," he concluded.
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