Austrian GP: Mercedes to bring power unit fix to address reliability issues

Kimi Antonelli says Mercedes will introduce corrective measures from the Austrian Grand Prix after the power unit reliability problems that have cost the team valuable Formula 1 points in recent races.

Mercedes targets reliability after costly failures

Antonelli said the warning signs had appeared before his Barcelona retirement, which came three laps from the finish.

The Italian clarified that his Barcelona problem was not simply a matter of ambient conditions. A component suffered a sudden temperature spike, which triggered a battery glitch, but Antonelli stressed that the Montreal failure occurred in much cooler circumstances.

That distinction matters for Mercedes. If the same weakness can appear across different conditions, the response cannot be limited to managing heat alone. The team’s answer is a fresh power unit and an updated battery pack for Antonelli in Austria, although he emphasised that the changes are routine reliability measures and are not connected to the ADUO.

With the Red Bull Ring placing demands on brakes and engine performance, Antonelli called the fresh power unit good news, particularly with high temperatures expected. For more on the wider weekend picture, see our Austrian Grand Prix talking points, where Mercedes’ reliability concerns are part of the key storyline.

Strategy debate and team order clarity

Mercedes also reviewed its Barcelona strategy. Some in the paddock questioned why the team did not follow Ferrari’s three-stop route with race winner Lewis Hamilton, but Antonelli said simulations still favoured a two-stop.

“Technically, going for three pitstops would have been possible. But in our simulations, the two-stop strategy still came out slightly faster,” he said, adding that race calculations assume clean air while the grand prix itself brings more variables.

The more sensitive topic was the wheel-to-wheel fight between Antonelli and George Russell, which Wolff felt cost Mercedes time. Antonelli said the post-race message was direct.

“There was a meeting on the matter, and Toto was very clear,” he said. “If we find ourselves in a situation like Barcelona again, under pressure from our rivals, there will be a team order, especially if one of the two cars is showing better pace. If, on the other hand, we’re fighting each other without pressure from another team, we’ll be free to race, just as we were in Montreal.”

Austria begins a critical run

With four rounds in five weeks before the summer break, Antonelli believes the upcoming circuits should suit Mercedes better. He said the team has struggled most on older asphalt and low-grip tracks, making the Red Bull Ring a potentially more favourable venue than Barcelona despite the expected heat and altitude-related engine demands.