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Motor Racing-Mercedes’ Antonelli Says Car ‘in a Better Place’ but Russell Takes ‘Step Backwards’
Mercedes compared old and new front wings as Russell led the session and Antonelli finished 1.251 seconds behind on different tyres.
- On Friday, George Russell topped the timesheets at the Singapore Grand Prix, setting the pace in his older-spec Mercedes ahead of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who finished second nearly two-tenths behind.
- Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff deployed two different car specifications to evaluate a major aerodynamic upgrade. Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli tested the newer configuration while Russell used the older version.
- With track temperatures reaching 53°C and 63 per cent humidity, drivers navigated challenging conditions. Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton faced lap time deletions for track limit violations at Turn 16 and Turn 11.
- Early findings suggest the latest Mercedes version is 'trickier to drive,' though Wolff stressed this does not mean it lacks performance potential. The team is analyzing data to determine optimal tuning.
- Mercedes is prioritizing this data collection to guide development for the 2027 season. Wolff stated it is 'very' important the team calibrates the upgrade correctly to ensure the development direction remains advantageous.
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Motor racing-Mercedes’ Antonelli says car ‘in a better place’ but Russell takes ‘step backwards’
Kimi Antonelli said Mercedes have got to the bottom of the issues on the new upgrade on his car after he qualified fourth-fastest on Saturday in Singapore, but George Russell feels he has taken a “step backwards” after a crash in the sprint.
·Toronto, Canada
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George Russell (Mercedes) finished sixth in qualifying for the 2026 F1 Singapore Grand Prix, struggling to pinpoint the reason for his earlier poor form. After crashing while leading the sprint race, the repaired car didn't feel the same as before, and in qualifying…
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