Formula 1 commentator Will Buxton has expressed concern that Mercedes’ recent upgrade package may have cost the team up to half a second per lap, according to team principal Toto Wolff.
The Brackley team introduced significant changes at the Bahrain Grand Prix, modifying nearly every body surface in an effort to boost medium‑to‑high‑speed downforce.
Despite optimism, Kimi Antonelli qualified third and George Russell seventh at the Sepang International Circuit, with Antonelli finishing second and Russell retiring due to a power‑unit failure.
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Buxton questioned whether the upgrade is fundamentally flawed or simply hampered by the Malaysian circuit’s characteristics.
He noted that while Russell’s DNF was beyond his control, Mercedes never appeared competitive for the lead.
Buxton added, “They brought a major upgrade. Is it that the update didn’t work, or was it track‑specific and they didn’t extract the expected benefit? For those unfamiliar, big floor and sidepod changes usually add downforce but sacrifice straight‑line speed, hoping to regain it in the corners. The team anticipated a gain of about three‑tenths of a second, but Wolff believes they may have lost four or five‑tenths instead.”
“They plan to run back‑to‑back tests in Singapore between the old and new specifications, although only one practice session is available due to the sprint‑weekend format.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
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