The technical step applies to both Russell and Antonelli
In the official United States Grand Prix preview, Toto Wolff confirms that Mercedes will use its latest update package on both cars. The team says it has worked to understand the difficulties encountered in Malaysia and Singapore. Austin begins another run of three consecutive race weekends, with management emphasising progress and execution at each event.
What the Singapore comparison established
Mercedes’ Singapore report describes evaluating the package against the previous specification. Wolff identified a trickier set-up window alongside performance potential. Andrew Shovlin said that, by the end of the weekend, Kimi Antonelli’s package was the faster of the two. Antonelli finished the race third and George Russell ninth, having started 19th after a power-unit component penalty.
The sporting stakes before Texas
The official Formula 1 standings checked on 22 October place Antonelli and Russell first and second, on 340 and 238 points. Mercedes’ page records 578 team points against Ferrari’s 444. These are the references ahead of the Austin race. They do not measure the technical update’s outcome or guarantee a result at the next round.
What would make the evaluation convincing
APEX’s interpretation: using the same development on both cars gives the team a common basis to work from. Watch balance stability, driver confidence through fast corners and pace across comparable stints. A convincing improvement should be repeatable across sessions and conditions, rather than inferred from a single lap or a finishing position affected by traffic and strategy.
