Mercedes struggled through what deputy team principal Bradley Lord described as one of their toughest Fridays of the season, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finishing seventh and eighth in second practice. The team brought their first significant upgrade package since the Canadian Grand Prix in May but failed to extract the expected performance gains.
Russell initially looked competitive by finishing second in first practice, nearly four tenths behind Max Verstappen's benchmark time. However, both Mercedes drivers faded in the afternoon session after making crucial mistakes on their soft tire qualifying simulations, with Russell running wide at the final corner and Antonelli exceeding track limits.
The upgrade package includes changes to the floor edge, sidepods, and rear diffuser, with Russell reporting he can feel additional downforce in high-speed corners. However, tire overheating and degradation issues overshadowed any aerodynamic improvements, making it difficult to assess the true impact of the new components.
Lord admitted the competitive picture looked more like Hungary than their recent strong form in Azerbaijan, acknowledging significant work needed overnight to optimize the car setup. The team faces particular concern over tire degradation levels that appear higher than competitors like Red Bull, potentially compromising their race prospects at the demanding Malaysian venue.