Upgrades Backfire as Wolff Admits Mercedes Going Backwards
Toto Wolff said Mercedes will review data after the W17 lost expected pace, with the team missing the top three by several tenths.
- On Saturday, October 3, 2026, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff expressed confusion after qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, where the team's new upgrade package failed to deliver expected performance and Red Bull's Max Verstappen claimed pole position.
- Describing the upgraded W17 as "very draggy," Wolff admitted the car suffered understeer in low-speed turns. He stated, "Something else is going on which we need to understand," as performance diverged sharply from previous practice sessions.
- Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth but starts third after penalties, while George Russell qualified eighth and starts seventh. Despite Antonelli topping the final practice session, the team's pace vanished during the qualifying session.
- Regarding Sunday's race, "I don't know at all what to expect," Wolff said about pace in the heat. The team remains confident the recent upgrade package is effective and plans to analyze data to address the sudden performance deficit.
- Mercedes aims to "delve into the data and find a solution" to bring the W17 back to form. With rivals Ferrari and Red Bull performing strongly, the team must resolve these handling issues to remain competitive.
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After qualifying in Sepang, the previous World Cup dominator Mercedes, who only followed despite a car upgrade, was very disappointed.
Channel News Asia
PressNewsAgencyUpgrades backfire as Wolff admits Mercedes going backwards
SEPANG, Malaysia, Oct 3 : Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was left scratching his head after his team's upgrade package fell flat in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Saturday, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen claiming his first pole position of the season.Verstappen became the first driver this yea
Bahrain's GP Saturday in Malaysia left Mercedes more questions than certainties. The big update package on the W17 had the goal of strengthening the performance of the single-seater and accompanying the team towards the decisive phase of the season, but the qualifications returned a very different picture from the expectations of the eve. [...]
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