Kimi Antonelli reveals he’s been promised a ‘quantum leap’ from Mercedes’ Malaysia upgrades

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has revealed that team engineers promised a "quantum leap" of roughly three tenths of a second from major upgrades introduced at Sepang. Mercedes is bringing its second substantial package of the season to the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, which is being staged in Malaysia. The updates for the W17 car include a new floor, sidepods, and revised wing elements designed to enhance cornering performance.

Antonelli noted that while simulator data is promising, the team must confirm track correlation during Friday's practice sessions. The updates arrive after teammate George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, extending Mercedes' record to 11 victories across the first 15 races of the season.