Toto Wolff confirms: Mercedes to feature updates and special livery at Sepang

Mercedes heads into the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia as the championship leader in both classifications and on the back of three consecutive wins. The team is bringing new parts to Malaysia – and hopes to further address its weaknesses on conventional circuits.

George Russell won in Azerbaijan, whilst Kimi Antonelli won the two Grands Prix before that. Consequently, Antonelli leads the World Championship with 302 points, whilst George Russell has 236. The closest challenger is Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) with 199 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes leads by 160 points with 538 to 378 (also ahead of Ferrari). Nevertheless, nobody at the Stuttgart-based team is resting on their laurels.

What matters in Sepang

Team principal Toto Wolff: “Sepang is a demanding circuit that pushes the car to its limits. You need performance in the high-speed corners, good traction, strong tyre management and consistency in hot, challenging conditions. It’s one of the most comprehensive tests of endurance on the calendar.” For both man and machine.

Mercedes with updates to the car

Wolff confirmed what had already become apparent: “We’re bringing an update package with us this weekend, which is an important step for us. On the more representative circuits of recent times, we weren’t where we wanted to be. Monza and Baku were unique challenges, but on the more conventional circuits we weren’t able to fight for pole position. We know that and are working hard to change it.” Exactly what’s new isn’t yet known, but it will become clear once the race weekend gets underway.

Last week in Baku, George Russell secured a dominant victory from pole position. He also set the fastest lap of the race, thereby achieving a ‘Grand Slam’. A weekend that looked perfect on paper – with him leading in every session – was marred only by Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), who was fastest in the third free practice session. Otherwise, it was a weekend to remember for Russell. Kimi Antonelli had triumphed previously in Madrid and Monza. In Budapest and Zandvoort, however, the victories both went to Lando Norris in the McLaren.

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Wolff: “Hopefully the update is another step forward, but there are no guarantees in Formula 1. Ultimately, it’s always the stopwatch that decides. Our focus is on quickly understanding the package, executing well over the weekend and holding our own in the battle at the front.”

Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Due to the situation in the Middle East, this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix is being held in Malaysia as a one-off. This also means that Formula 1 is returning to the Sepang International Circuit for the first time since 2017. Toto Wolff is particularly pleased about the comeback: “This weekend holds special significance for us because of our long-standing partnership with Petronas.” The oil company is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur. To mark the occasion, Mercedes will be racing with a special livery featuring more turquoise on the car – the title sponsor’s colour.

Wolff: “It’s fantastic that Formula 1 is returning to Sepang, and we should also acknowledge the tremendous effort that went into making this Grand Prix possible. This required close cooperation between Malaysia and Bahrain, which deserves recognition.”