Mercedes Plans Major Sepang Upgrade

Mercedes will bring a significant upgrade package to the W17 for Formula 1's return to Malaysia at Sepang, as the championship leader looks to restore the qualifying advantage it enjoyed earlier in 2026.

Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin confirmed that there will be little new on the car for Azerbaijan, with the next development step scheduled to arrive from Malaysia onwards.

The Sepang package is expected to be one of Mercedes' final major development steps before resources increasingly shift towards its 2027 challenger.

Mercedes already leads the championship. Now it wants its qualifying dominance back.

Mercedes Targets Pole Position Pace

The W17 began 2026 as Formula 1's benchmark, taking pole position at each of the first 10 rounds.

But Mercedes has now gone four consecutive Grands Prix without pole as Ferrari and McLaren have closed the performance gap. Despite that, Mercedes has still won 10 of the opening 14 races and leads Ferrari by 145 points in the Constructors' Championship.

Shovlin hopes the Malaysia upgrade will put Mercedes back into regular contention for pole rather than relying on circuit characteristics to suit the W17.

Sepang Presents a Major Technical Test

The upgrade will debut at one of Formula 1's most demanding circuits.

Sepang combines long straights, high-speed corners, heavy braking and extreme Malaysian heat, making aerodynamic efficiency and cooling particularly important.

The race will also carry extra significance for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, with Malaysia being the home market of title partner PETRONAS.

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have already expressed their excitement about finally racing at Sepang.

Mercedes Wants to Stay Ahead

For Winbox Racing, Mercedes' decision to continue developing the W17 despite its championship advantage shows that the team is not prepared to let Ferrari and McLaren close the gap without responding.

The Silver Arrows already has the results.

Now it wants the outright speed back too.

Major upgrade. PETRONAS home race. Formula 1 back at Sepang.

Mercedes is bringing something new to Malaysia.

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