Mercedes ran split specs in Singapore: Russell on the Azerbaijan-spec car that won there, Antonelli on the upgraded package that's flopped since Bahrain. The result? Russell qualified P2 for the Sprint, Antonelli P7, six-tenths back. Wolff called the upgraded W17 "a little more tricky to drive" and defended the approach as necessary data-gathering, even if running different cars isn't ideal. The problem: Mercedes dumped months of development into one big upgrade rather than incremental steps, and now they can't isolate what's broken. Wolff admitted that gamble—driven by cost-cap constraints—makes it "quite difficult to dial yourself out." Russell confirmed the old spec "is not bad." Antonelli sounded resigned: "I don't really see where we can find seven-tenths." The team will pick the best bits from both specs and recalibrate for 2027, but the Marina Bay data point suggests Mercedes bet big and lost.
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