Kimi Antonelli looks forward to a ‘challenging’ F1 Singapore GP as Mercedes splits cars with the upgrade package
Kimi Antonelli believes the sprint format presents its own challenges, alongside the task of understanding Mercedes’ new package. Speaking to media, including VisionF1, the Mercedes driver confirmed that he will use the upgraded chassis in Singapore.
Mercedes introduced significant upgrades to their car at Sepang for the 2026 Bahrain GP. However, ahead of the Singapore GP, George Russell confirmed that he would revert to the older-specification chassis introduced in Baku. Mercedes will therefore run different chassis specifications for their two drivers to better understand the performance of their package.
Antonelli confirmed that he would continue with the upgraded chassis in Singapore. He felt the sprint format would make the weekend more challenging, with FP1 taking place during the day and sprint qualifying scheduled for the evening. He also highlighted how track evolution, along with falling air and track temperatures, could complicate the weekend. However, the Italian believes the different circuit characteristics could help Mercedes better understand their upgraded package.
Asked by Vision F1 to outline his expectations for the Singapore weekend, Kimi Antonelli said:
“First of all, sprint week in a city circuit, always very challenging because the track just evolves so quickly. That is going to be so different from session to session. Also FP1 ..is going to be in the day and quali is going to be in the night. So it’s going to be very, very different, but it’s a good challenge for us drivers, for the team. Of course, for us, you know, it’s going to be a very important weekend because we’re trying to understand a new package. So hopefully, you know, we’ll have a better, better view on that. But it’s gonna be, yeah, very, very challenging. And but I’m looking forward to it.”
Asked to confirm if he will be using the new package, he said:
“Yes I will be on the new package.”
Kimi Antonelli believes Mercedes new chassis not working in Sepang could be track specific
Kimi Antonelli suggested that the upgraded Mercedes chassis underperforming at Sepang could be down to the circuit characteristics. He noted that the abrasive surface at the Malaysian circuit affected the car’s performance, making it difficult to assess the effectiveness of the upgrades. He believes the cooler temperatures and smoother tarmac in Singapore could produce a different result. The 20-year-old driver also felt that running different chassis specifications across the two Mercedes cars during the Singapore GP weekend would allow the team to compare their performance and better understand the new package.
Asked about the conversations with Mercedes regarding the chassis upgrade and its performance in Sepang, Kimi Antonelli said:
“Yeah, of course, the numbers told us a different story in Sepang. But I think Sepang, it was a bit of an outlier, because the track was, the tarmac was just so rough. Actually in some corner, we were missing tarmac. So, and also it was so hot. We had 60 plus at times, degrees track temperature. So I think it was a bit of an outlier and definitely I feel like this weekend is going to be a bit more representative, you know, cooler temperatures, the tarmac is in a much better state. And I think it’s going to be a very good test because in Sepang, we struggle a lot in low speed. And here we have a lot of low speed, so let’s see how it’s going to be. And plus, you know, we’ll have two different cars on two different packages. So this is going to be interesting to see how we’re going to have a straight comparison on that side.”
Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 84 points in the drivers’ championship. Russell will take a grid penalty at the Singapore GP after Mercedes installed a new engine that exceeds his permitted component allocation under the regulations. The sprint weekend, which offers more points than a conventional race weekend, could therefore play a key role in helping the Italian extend his advantage over his teammate. Mercedes are currently leading the constructors’ championship with 556 points. They hold a 151-point advantage over Ferrari, with seven rounds remaining on the calendar.
