F1 / NEWS & CONTEXT

Mercedes adds reshaped sidepods to F1 upgrade

Mercedes’ latest F1 upgrade includes reshaped sidepods alongside floor changes, with George Russell hoping the package will help at difficult circuits.

GPBeat · Newsroom02 Oct 2026, 06:46 · 2 min

Mercedes is due to bring a substantial car upgrade to the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, with George Russell trying to close a 66-point gap to his team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli after winning in Baku.

Team principal Toto Wolff says both drivers should have equal opportunities to pursue the title, including in strategic decisions, while maintaining that the team comes first. He has raised the possibility of reassessing how Mercedes manages its cars during races as the season progresses, but has not announced a change in driver policy.

Writing in an opinion column for Autosport on 30 September, Motorsport Network F1 correspondent Filip Cleeren argues that, if the upgrade helps Mercedes pull clear of its rivals, Russell and Antonelli could have more room to compete with each other. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen offered a separate, conditional assessment: if the package works and gives Mercedes another step forward, winning will become harder for his team.

Cleeren also points to two Ferrari wins and a strong McLaren performance in Hungary as evidence that Mercedes has faced competition this season. Whether the new package changes that balance — or the way Mercedes manages its drivers — will become clearer only after it runs in Malaysia.

Update

Mercedes have fitted seven updated components to their W17 cars for the race weekend at Sepang, RacingNews365 English reports. The changes cover several areas of the floor, as well as the rear suspension and brake-drum winglets. RacingNews365 describes the package as Mercedes’ largest collection of W17 updates since the Canadian Grand Prix in May.

Kimi Antonelli heads into the race 66 points ahead of team-mate George Russell, while Mercedes lead Ferrari by 160 points in the constructors’ standings.

Update

Autosport reports that Mercedes has added redesigned sidepods to its latest Formula 1 upgrade package. Their rear section now has a ramped profile, replacing the undercut shape the team had used since the start of the season. The package also includes extensive floor revisions.

Autosport describes this as Mercedes’ first large-scale update since May. George Russell told the publication that the long gap made it a large individual step. He hopes it will help the team at circuits it has found more difficult over the past six races.

Autosport says the new sidepod profile is intended to change airflow around the car. How much the package helps Mercedes on track remains to be seen.

Sources 03

SOURCEAs Mercedes looks to deal F1 2026 knockout blow, will its driver fight reignite?Autosport · Source date as found: 2026-09-30
SOURCEMercedes unveil huge array of F1 upgrades in final title pushRacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-10-02
SOURCEMercedes introduces new floor, sidepods for F1 Bahrain GPAutosport · Source date as found: 2026-10-02

Source context

Source context: Filip Cleeren’s Autosport opinion column was published on 30 September 2026, ahead of the Malaysian race weekend.

RacingNews365 English reported the component changes and pre-race standings on 2 October 2026.

The sidepod description and Russell’s comments come from Autosport’s report published on 2 October.

Claims and supporting evidence 19

Autosport reports that George Russell’s Baku victory brought him within 66 points of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The supplied material contains no separately retrieved standings.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Championship context reported by Autosport After the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix; reported 30 September 2026 The points gap is reported by Autosport rather than checked against independently supplied standings.

[1]

Autosport reports that a substantial Mercedes car-upgrade package was due for the Malaysia race weekend. Its effectiveness was prospective, not a measured result.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Mercedes upgrade plan Reported 30 September 2026, ahead of the Malaysia race weekend The source does not establish how the package will perform on track.

[1]

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said he wanted Russell and Antonelli to have equal opportunities to pursue the championship, including in strategic calls, while stating that the team comes first. These are his stated priorities, not proof that every future decision will be equal.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Wolff’s stated approach to the Mercedes drivers Remarks reported 30 September 2026 The article quotes Wolff; it does not test future strategy decisions.

[1]

Wolff said Mercedes might need to reassess how it manages its cars during races as the season progresses and its gap to rival teams changes. He did not announce a change of driver policy.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Conditions Wolff identified for race management Remarks reported 30 September 2026, concerning the remainder of the 2026 season His remarks describe a possible consideration, not a decision already taken.

[1]

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen said that *if* Mercedes’ Malaysia upgrade worked and produced another step forward, winning would look more difficult for his side. This was a conditional assessment, not evidence that the upgrade had succeeded.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Rival driver’s assessment of the planned upgrade Ahead of the 2026 Malaysia race weekend; reported 30 September 2026 The condition in Verstappen’s statement had not been resolved in the supplied source.

[1]

The piece is presented by Autosport as opinion by Filip Cleeren, whom its author biography identifies as one of Motorsport Network’s main F1 correspondents. His assessment should not be treated as an announced Mercedes position.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Identity and status of the published assessment Published 30 September 2026 The author biography establishes his stated role; it does not make his forecast a confirmed outcome.

[1]

Cleeren argues that renewed Mercedes dominance could give Russell and Antonelli more room to compete against each other. He frames this as contingent on Mercedes reasserting its dominance, not as an inevitable driver conflict.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Cleeren’s interpretation of a possible intra-team contest Cleeren’s assessment published 30 September 2026 This is the columnist’s conditional interpretation; the supplied article cannot establish how the drivers will behave after the upgrade.

[1]

Cleeren also describes earlier rival gains, citing two Ferrari wins and a strong McLaren performance in Hungary. Those examples qualify his prospective Mercedes-dominance scenario rather than demonstrating that the planned upgrade will fail.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Qualification to a claim of across-the-board Mercedes dominance Earlier in the 2026 season, as described on 30 September 2026 These results and performance descriptions appear in the single supplied Autosport article; no separate race reports were retrieved.

[1]

RacingNews365 reports a total of seven updated components on the W17 cars of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell ahead of the race weekend.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Mercedes W17 technical update Ahead of the early October 2026 race weekend. The article does not establish a performance gain or specify whether the count of seven applies separately to each car.

[2]

The reported package includes changes to several areas of the floor, rear suspension and brake-drum winglets.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Components described by RacingNews365 The early October 2026 race weekend. These are the article's component descriptions, not independently checked technical specifications or measured results.

[2]

RacingNews365 describes this as Mercedes' most significant collection of W17 updates since the Canadian Grand Prix in May.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Scale of Mercedes' update Comparison with updates since May 2026. This is the publication's assessment of the package's scale, not evidence that it will be more effective than earlier updates.

[2]

RacingNews365 reports that Antonelli led teammate Russell by 66 points and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton by 103 points before the race at Sepang. It puts Mercedes 160 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' standings.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Championship context Before the race at Sepang in early October 2026. The standings figures come from the same publication; no separate standings page was supplied. They describe the pre-race position, not an outcome of the upgrades.

[2]

The same RacingNews365 article reports an engine-cover change for McLaren, a modified floor for Red Bull and a diffuser-winglet development for Ferrari.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Other teams' updates at the same event The early October 2026 race weekend. These are developments reported within the same article, not independent confirmations or evidence of their competitive effect.

[2]

Autosport reports that Mercedes has presented a substantially revised floor and new sidepods for the 2026 event in Malaysia.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Mercedes' W17 update for the event Autosport calls the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. 2026-10-02, ahead of the grand prix The event designation follows Autosport's wording; no second source was retrieved.

[3]

The reported floor changes cover the floor board, leading edge, rear corner and underbody, including the diffuser area. Autosport also reports changes to the rear suspension fairings and winglets within the rear wheel drums.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Components of the reported update. 2026-10-02 These are Autosport's descriptions of the package, not independently inspected technical specifications.

[3]

Autosport describes a change from the undercut sidepod shape used earlier in the season to a ramped profile. Its account of how that profile directs airflow and increases downforce is a technical interpretation, not a measured performance result presented in the article.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Sidepod design and aerodynamic interpretation. 2026 season through 2026-10-02 The retrieved text supplies no measured downforce figure or on-track comparison for the new parts.

[3]

Autosport identifies this as Mercedes' first large-scale update package since the Canadian Grand Prix in May 2026.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Timing of Mercedes' development package. May–October 2026 The article is the sole retrieved source for the development timeline.

[3]

Speaking to Autosport, Mercedes driver George Russell called the individual upgrade step large because of the long interval since May. He hoped it would help Mercedes at circuits that had been more challenging in the preceding six races; he did not report that it had already done so.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. George Russell's assessment of the update. 2026-10-02; looking back over six races and ahead to the new package Russell's expectation is not a verified performance gain.

[3]

Autosport reports that Russell won the preceding race in Baku and reduced his deficit to Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' championship to 66 points.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Championship context supplied by Autosport. After the 2026 Baku race, as reported on 2026-10-02 No separate race result or championship table was retrieved.

[3]

Corrections and updates to this story

02 Oct 2026, 06:46

Updated with a material new development verified through a separate News Made Clear newsroom run.

02 Oct 2026, 05:23

Updated with a material new development verified through a separate News Made Clear newsroom run.

This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.