Wolff says Mercedes update set team back by a similar amount to expected gain
Archive photograph: Toto Wolff · Australian Grand Prix paddock, Melbourne 2026 · 2026-03-07Archive photo · 2026-03-07 · Yu Chu Chin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mercedes expected its latest package to gain about 0.3 seconds per lap in Malaysia, but Toto Wolff felt after qualifying that it had set the team back by a similar amount. The team plans to assess both specifications in Singapore, where it has one practice session to try possible solutions.
Mercedes heads into the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix still searching for answers after its latest update failed to deliver the expected performance step. The package was expected to gain around 0.3 seconds per lap, but after qualifying in Malaysia Toto Wolff felt it had instead set the team back by a similar amount.
Mercedes plans to evaluate its latest package alongside its previous specification across the Singapore weekend. Wolff said ahead of the event that several areas still needed investigation and that the team needed more evidence before drawing firm conclusions.
That leaves Mercedes with just one practice session to try possible solutions during the Singapore Sprint weekend.
Sources 03
- PRIMARY SOURCE5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the Singapore GPFormula 1
- PRIMARY SOURCERussell set for grid penalty at Singapore Grand PrixFormula 1
- PRIMARY SOURCESingapore Will Be an Important Test – Toto’s Singapore GP PreviewMercedes F1 · Team statement; interested source
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