From Road & Track · Adam Cooper · · 1m
Mercedes Struggles with New Upgrades at Sepang
Mercedes' new F1 upgrades underperform at Sepang due to track conditions and tire issues.
In brief
Mercedes' new F1 upgrades underperform at Sepang due to track conditions and tire issues. Mercedes' new F1 upgrades struggle to deliver expected performance at Sepang due to rough track and high temperatures. Originally reported by Road & Track.
Mercedes Brings Upgrades to Sepang
Mercedes has introduced new parts for the 2026 season but struggles to optimize performance at Sepang.
Qualifying Results at Sepang
Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth with a penalty from Isack Hadjar, while George Russell finished eighth.
Antonelli on Qualifying Performance
Antonelli said the new tires were challenging but he expects to finish second or third in the race.
“It's much better than what I expected”
Track Conditions Impact Performance
Sepang's rough, hot track causes tires to wear quickly and makes car optimization difficult.
“The tarmac is so rough, and it's so hot that the tires are out of the window after two corners”
Mercedes' Performance Window
Mercedes' high-speed performance is strong but low-speed performance needs improvement with the new package.
“We were very quick in the high-speed, but in the low-speed we lacked”
Next Steps for Mercedes
Mercedes plans to test the new package at Singapore to better understand its performance.
“Singapore will give us a better read on the package”
Here's the gist
Mercedes' new F1 upgrades struggle to deliver expected performance at Sepang due to rough track and high temperatures.
