Mercedes' upgrade package still isn't delivering, and Kimi Antonelli knows it. The Italian will run a new front wing in Singapore designed to unlock the performance that's been missing since the team introduced major updates at Bahrain. Those changes—revised bodywork, floor tweaks—were supposed to restore Mercedes' early-season edge. Instead, Verstappen took his first 2026 win while Russell's car failed and Antonelli salvaged a podium.
Russell is reverting to the old spec entirely and will take a grid penalty for a power unit change, clearing Antonelli's path to extend his 84-point lead. But the championship math isn't Antonelli's focus. He's committed to the new package for the weekend, betting that Mercedes can finally extract its potential on a track that isn't the high-temp outlier Sepang was. If the front wing unlocks the upgrades, Mercedes might have answers. If not, they're headed into the final rounds still searching.
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