Kimi Antonelli remains confident that Mercedes can uncover the underlying reasons for their recent performance struggles, as the Italian prepares to trial a new front wing at the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix designed to complement their latest technical package.
Instead of rolling out frequent developments throughout the year like competitors Ferrari and Red Bull, Mercedes delayed major car modifications until the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, bringing revisions to both the floor and bodywork. The overhaul was intended to reinstate the performance advantage they enjoyed earlier in the season.
However, those anticipated gains failed to materialise on track. Max Verstappen of Red Bull triumphed from pole position for his maiden victory of 2026, whereas George Russell was forced to retire because of a mechanical problem. Antonelli finished on the podium behind Verstappen, highlighting that Mercedes have work to do in order to optimise their current package over the remaining rounds.
Addressing the Upgrades in Singapore
When questioned on whether the introduction of a new front wing will allow the recent upgrades to function as intended, Antonelli stated, “That’s the question we will try to answer. George is going back on the old package, which we know works really well, especially on these kinds of tracks.”
“On my side, we’ll try to find an answer for this package. Hopefully we will understand it more and finally strike the potential of the package. Of course we’ll have the front wing, even though it’s just one front wing, but let’s see,” Antonelli added. He also noted that the Sepang circuit presented unique challenges, suggesting that track-specific factors influenced their difficulties: “I think Sepang overall was a little bit of an outlier because of the tarmac, the high temperatures, but hopefully this weekend we will be able to put the car in a better place and just extract more out of the package.”
Drivers’ Standings and Weekend Strategy
Alongside reverting to a previous specification, Russell will receive a significant grid penalty for exceeding his power unit allocation, presenting Antonelli with an opportunity to further increase his advantage in the drivers’ standings. Despite holding an 84-point margin over his team mate, Antonelli maintained that his focus is fully on maximising Mercedes’ new developments rather than dwelling on his championship lead over Russell.
“I’ve committed with the new package and I will commit for the whole weekend,” Antonelli said. “There’s no way to go back to it because it’s a big job for the team. We will try to do the best with what we have but I’m more confident coming to this weekend because I feel like hopefully we will have a better understanding of the package and we will be able to extract more of its potential.”
Reflecting on his approach for the upcoming sessions, he noted, “We’re going to try and win. That’s the mindset and of course, George is starting at the back but it doesn’t mean anything. On my side I just try to focus on what I can control and try to deliver the best performance as I can and if I can win the race, great. If I have to do a podium, I will do a podium. I’m really looking forward to the weekend and hopefully we can achieve a great result with the team.”
