Sports · Motorsport · 5 hrs ago
Mercedes says Antonelli’s Singapore car upgrade was clearly faster
Mercedes tested two versions of its 2026 Formula 1 car at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli drove the newer aerodynamic package, while teammate George Russell used an older version.
Mercedes said Antonelli’s package was clearly faster by the end of the weekend.
Antonelli finished on the podium after managing his tyres and making overtakes, while Russell started 19th after a 60-place grid penalty and recovered to score points.
The comparison gave Mercedes a clearer idea of which car updates to develop.
That matters as the team prepares for the final races and seeks to improve the car’s performance.
Mercedes says it will study the data before the next race in Austin, where Antonelli could mathematically clinch the drivers’ championship.
Mercedes said Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s updated car was clearly faster than George Russell’s older-specification car at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The team used the race weekend to compare the two aerodynamic packages and gather data for its development programme.
Antonelli finished on the podium, while Russell started 19th after a 60-place grid penalty and scored points.
Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin said the findings gave Mercedes a clearer direction for developing the car.
Mercedes said the data would help it prepare for the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
- Who
- Mercedes, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
- What
- The team compared updated and older aerodynamic specifications and said Antonelli’s package was clearly faster.
- When
- At the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix; the article was published on 12 October 2026.
- Where
- Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore.
- Why
- Mercedes wanted to evaluate its aerodynamic updates and identify a development direction for the remaining races.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
By the end of the weekend, Kimi’s package was clearly the faster of the two which gives us confidence that we are heading in the right direction from a development perspective.
One of the main objectives this weekend was to continue our evaluation of the update package and build our understanding of how to get the most from it
There is still work to do, but the data we’ve gathered will be valuable as we prepare for Austin.
Mercedes ran Antonelli’s updated package and Russell’s older aerodynamic specification to compare them.
Shovlin said Mercedes had gathered useful data and that Antonelli’s package was clearly faster.
Mercedes planned to use the data as it prepared for the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
- Antonelli’s result
- Podium finish
- Russell’s starting position
- 19th after a 60-place grid penalty
- Circuit
- Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore
- Next race cited
- United States Grand Prix in Austin
- Published
- 12 October 2026
Sources
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