Cost cap helped shape Mercedes’ old-spec test for Russell in Singapore

Cost-cap considerations were one reason Mercedes ran George Russell in his previous car specification at the Singapore Grand Prix, deputy team principal Bradley Lord said. The team still had components for that configuration, allowing it to compare the old and updated packages side by side. Lord said the approach was the quickest way to learn from a real-world test and an efficient use of the available parts.

The comparison followed unexpected behaviour from the Mercedes update at Sepang. Lord said some of the car’s responses did not match the team’s predictions and might have fallen outside what its wind tunnel and simulator could predict. Deputy technical director Simone Resta said Mercedes measured the expected increase in downforce, but it was not delivered consistently across the car, affecting its balance and leaving the front end stronger than expected.

Resta said Sepang’s different surface, high temperatures, changeable weather and heavy tyre degradation made it uncertain whether findings there would transfer directly to other circuits. Mercedes chose to run the comparison at the next event, despite Singapore’s sprint format offering relatively little running for the test.

Russell returned to the specification he had used to win in Baku. Mercedes also tested a new front wing on Kimi Antonelli’s car in Singapore’s sole free practice session, but Lord said the team had only one example and did not plan to use it in the sprint, qualifying or race. He said the data were intended to help Mercedes prepare for Austin, where it hoped to run both cars in the updated configuration with the new wing.