Mercedes went backwards in Singapore and Antonelli says that's why they're moving forward
Kimi Antonelli went from P5 to P2 in Austin practice after Mercedes put both cars on the same upgrade package following a Singapore rethink.
Mercedes went backwards in Singapore, and Kimi Antonelli reckons that's exactly why they're moving forward at the United States Grand Prix. The championship leader ended Friday at the Circuit of The Americas 0.042s off Charles Leclerc's benchmark, and he's clear about the reason.
A package that underwhelmed
The upgrade package Mercedes introduced in Malaysia two races ago was meant to bring back the advantage they enjoyed at the start of the season. It didn't deliver the progress they expected. So rather than bluff it, the team rolled George Russell back to the older specification in Singapore.
They then spent the week off working out what the package needs. "Since Singapore, having that week off, we were able to analyse the data and understand better what this package needs," Antonelli said.
At Austin both cars run the same W17 with the Malaysia package, plus a new front wing option.
Why one spec helps
Antonelli's argument is simple. Two cars on one package means more experiments and faster learning. "Having both cars on the same upgrade package helps because we can try lots of different stuff and we can have a better understanding of this package," he said.
Friday backed him up. He went from P5 to P2 across the two practice sessions. He isn't claiming the job is done, though. "However, we're still trying to find how to put the car in the right window. Definitely we've been taking steps forward and we'll see what we can do to improve even more."
Not the match point weekend
That pace has got people doing title maths. A win, combined with low-scoring results for his rivals, could see Antonelli secure the Drivers' Championship this weekend. Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord isn't having it.
"Ultimately, for Kimi to win this weekend, it means the team has had a really bad race because the maths says George needs to be ninth or below," Lord said. "It's a very minimal chance. It's theoretically possible but in practical terms, this isn't the match point weekend."
With competition among the top four teams looking remarkably tight once again, that's the right tone. Points first, maths later.
The retreat was the smart bit
Honestly, we think the step back was the best decision Mercedes made in this whole saga. Looking wrong for a weekend beats bluffing with a package you don't understand. Putting Russell back on the old spec in Singapore looked like a retreat. What it bought was a week of proper analysis, two cars learning from the same package in Austin and a driver who says he "felt better in the car compared to FP1".
The car doesn't need to be perfect yet. It needs to keep learning, and on Friday's evidence it is.
