Kimi Antonelli Questions Mercedes Upgrades After Disappointing Sprint Qualifying in Singapore

Kimi Antonelli, the current World Championship leader, has cast further doubt on the effectiveness of Mercedes’ recent upgrades following a disappointing performance in the Sprint Qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix. Antonelli qualified in seventh place, over half a second behind his teammate George Russell, who secured second place behind Max Verstappen.

During the Sprint Qualifying, Antonelli described his upgraded car as “very unpredictable” and “difficult to drive.” This follows a lacklustre debut for the upgrades at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where they failed to deliver the expected performance improvements. In Singapore, Antonelli was running the latest version of the car, which included a new front wing not available during the previous race.

Despite Mercedes’ commanding leads in both the drivers’ and constructors’ standings, Antonelli’s comments highlight potential concerns regarding the team’s development direction for the upcoming season. He stated, “Still a lot to understand about this package. The car is very difficult, very unpredictable, and very difficult to put a lap together.” His sentiments suggest that the team may face challenges in optimising the new upgrades.

Team principal Toto Wolff has acknowledged the difficulties associated with the recent upgrade strategy, indicating that the team might consider implementing smaller, incremental upgrades in the future. He noted, “If it doesn’t work as you’ve anticipated, it’s just quite difficult to dial yourself out and understand why it hasn’t worked.” This reflects a cautious approach as the team evaluates the performance of their new components.

As the weekend progresses, both Antonelli and Russell will be looking to improve their performances. Russell, who starts on the front row, commented on the situation, saying, “We can definitely confirm the old one is not bad. Let’s see what Saturday brings with Kimi on the upgrade.” This indicates a level of optimism that the situation may improve as the weekend unfolds.

The Singapore GP Sprint weekend continues with the main qualifying session scheduled for Saturday at 2pm, followed by the Grand Prix on Sunday at 1pm. Fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports F1, with build-up coverage starting earlier in the day.

Source: This original report was produced by WTGO Newsroom using verified reporting from Sky Sports.