Antonelli says Mercedes don't know whether their upgrade made the car faster

[Scott98]

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has admitted that Mercedes do not yet know whether their latest upgrade made the car faster or slower, RaceFans reports. Speaking after finishing second at Sepang, he said the team could not tell whether the new parts had helped or hurt their pace. That is an unusual admission from a team leading the championship by a large margin

Antonelli blamed the circuit for the uncertainty. Sepang's old tarmac produces unusual grip levels, which makes it hard to compare performance with other tracks. Add in the rain, the software chaos and the Safety Car periods, and the race offered little clean data. He expects a clearer picture before the Singapore Grand Prix, after the team has analysed more information

The comments give an interesting glimpse into how teams develop their cars. Upgrades are tested in wind tunnels and simulations, but the real test is always on track. When conditions are as unusual as they were in Malaysia, even the best engineers can struggle to judge whether a change worked. Teams sometimes bring parts back off the car if the data is unclear

Antonelli leads the championship on 320 points, 84 ahead of teammate George Russell, whose late retirement in Malaysia we discussed yesterday. With seven races left, Mercedes are in a strong position, but they will want to be sure the car is moving in the right direction. A wrong turn in development at this stage could cost points at exactly the wrong time

How much can you learn about an upgrade from a chaotic wet race? And can anyone stop Antonelli winning the title now?

Mercedes 'don't know if upgrade made us faster or slower' - Antonelliwww.racefans.net

[Bussin99]

Teams have rolled back upgrades many times when the data was unclear. Better to be safe than chase a problem through the final races. Plenty of teams have done it in recent seasons and come out stronger

[EdgeNode Joel]

Old tarmac at Sepang has always been bumpy and unusual. It is one of the trickiest tracks to read for engineers

[WCWAlfie14]

Refreshingly honest from Antonelli. Most drivers would just say the upgrade worked well. Admitting uncertainty takes confidence. He has handled everything this season with maturity beyond his years