George Russell points to ‘stopwatch’ concern over Mercedes F1 upgrade

George Russell has reverted to an older spec of the Mercedes package this weekend in Singapore.

By Fergal Walsh · Racing News 365

Published: Friday, 9 October 2026 at 6:30 PM

Key Things to Know

George Russell stated the stopwatch has not been great for the new Mercedes upgrade package in Singapore.
Russell ran the older car specification to secure second place in sprint qualifying.
Teammate Kimi Antonelli used the upgraded package and qualified seventh after struggling for pace.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Mercedes driver George Russell voiced concerns about the team's latest upgrade package at the Singapore Grand Prix, noting the stopwatch has not been favorable to the new specification yet. While Russell drove the older package to second place during Friday sprint qualifying, his teammate Kimi Antonelli ran the newer specification and qualified in seventh place.

Despite Antonelli's struggles to extract performance, Russell believes the new package retains untapped potential for upcoming sessions. Russell acknowledged satisfaction with his Friday pace behind Max Verstappen, but he faces a grid penalty for Sunday's grand prix due to a new power unit.

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George Russell points to ‘stopwatch’ concern over Mercedes F1 upgrade

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