Chandhok says Mercedes should be concerned over limited upgrade gains

Karun Chandhok says Mercedes should be concerned that its latest aerodynamic package has probably not delivered a major performance step. The former F1 driver and Sky Sports pundit made the assessment on the Sky Sports F1 Show. Mercedes struggled to unlock pace from the updated W17 as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the last two Grands Prix, in Malaysia and Singapore.

Singapore gave Mercedes a split-spec comparison: Kimi Antonelli ran the upgraded car and finished third, outperforming George Russell. Russell used the previous specification and finished ninth after starting 19th following grid penalties for power-unit component changes.

Chandhok said Russell’s older-spec car was quicker on Friday. He also said Russell was slightly on the back foot in qualifying after the sprint crash and was aiming for a safe, sensible run, yet was not far off Antonelli. Chandhok still judged the upgrade’s gain too small, saying it had probably not produced a major improvement in either Malaysia or Singapore.