Mercedes launch investigation over 'several areas' of concern after Malaysia
Mercedes is reviewing a difficult Malaysia weekend after a power-unit failure ended George Russellâs race and left the team searching for answers about its performance. Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, Toto Wolff says the team has identified several areas for further investigation but is not ready to draw firm conclusions.
Mercedes seeks answers after upgrade debut
The team remained competitive in Malaysia, but could not match Max Verstappen, who secured pole position and victory. Kimi Antonelli finished second and extended his championship lead, while Russell scored no points after stopping late in the race with another power-unit issue.
That result came despite Mercedes introducing a significant upgrade package. Wolff said the team had spent the days after the race working to understand why its performance fell short of expectations.
âWe have identified several areas we need to investigate further, but F1 doesnât offer simple answers and we need more evidence before drawing firm conclusions,â Wolff said.
Singapore provides an immediate opportunity to continue that analysis. Mercedes plans to run both the latest update package and its previous specification across the weekend, comparing the two as it assesses the direction of its development. Wolff also pointed to the circuitâs different characteristics as a chance to build a clearer picture of the carâs performance. Readers can find further background in this Singapore Grand Prix guide.
Russellâs recovery starts from the back
Mercedes will also have to manage a difficult starting position for Russell. The team has confirmed an engine-related grid penalty, which means he will start Sundayâs race from the back following the Malaysia failure. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord described the situation as a âdouble whammyâ.
Wolff called the penalty particularly frustrating given Russellâs performance in Malaysia and the result he believed the driver deserved to be fighting for. The teamâs stated priority is to provide Russell with the best possible car and opportunities to recover positions.
The Singapore event is the final Sprint weekend of the year, adding further importance to a demanding weekend for Mercedes. Wolff said the team must keep learning, maximise its opportunities and pursue the strongest result possible with both cars. For Mercedes, Singapore is now both a chance to test its understanding of the new and previous specifications, and a test of its resilience after a costly race.
Simone Scanu
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.