Mercedes drops latest verdict on troublesome F1 upgrade after crunch US GP test

Mercedes believes it has taken a positive step forward with its troublesome upgrade package during Friday practice at the United States Grand Prix. After initial struggles following the package's debut in Malaysia and split setups in Singapore, both Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell ran the updated specification in Austin. Antonelli bounced back from a difficult opening session to finish second in FP2, just 0.042 seconds behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord confirmed that setup adjustments between sessions resolved cornering and tyre overheating issues without altering the physical upgrade parts. While Russell noted there is still work ahead after encountering issues on his flying laps, Lord highlighted encouraging long-run data showing tight competition among Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull.