KIMI ANTONELLI HAILS "STEP FORWARD" AT UNITED STATES GP AS MERCEDES CHIPS AWAY AT UPGRADES

Mercedes found grip on its tricky upgrade package Friday at COTA, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli just 0.042 seconds off the pace in second practice. The Italian led a much-improved afternoon session after a difficult morning, suggesting the team is learning how to unlock the performance of parts introduced two races ago in Malaysia.

The upgrades made the W17 faster but finicky—raising the ceiling while narrowing the window. With both Antonelli and George Russell now running identical specs, Mercedes can pool data and iterate faster. Antonelli called it "a good step forward," though trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin admitted the morning was rough before setup changes repositioned the car.

Austin could mathematically deliver Antonelli's first title, but only if Russell finishes ninth or worse—a scenario deputy team principal Bradley Lord dismissed as "not how we want to go racing." The real fight Saturday will be keeping Pirelli's soft rubber alive through the twisty final sector. If Mercedes nails that window, Antonelli's within striking distance.