Mercedes are ‘tight-lipped’ on sudden change to George Russell’s car after Singapore Grand Prix win

Follow us on Google Discover

Mercedes driver George Russell is now potentially on course for his best season in F1 to date, following the Briton’s victory in the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix last weekend.

The 27-year-old gave Mercedes their second win of the 2025 F1 season so far at Marina Bay from their second pole position yet, as well. Russell has bagged each of Mercedes’ wins and poles this year, as well as taking eight of the Silver Arrows’ nine podiums through 18 rounds.

Russell won the Canadian Grand Prix from pole during round 10 in June, as rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli also scored his only Formula 1 podium so far in P3. Now, adding glory in the Singapore GP to the King’s Lynn native’s tally has also put him on 237 points this term.

Only in 2022 during his first season for Mercedes and in 2024 has Russell finished a season with more points than the 237 he has penned so far this year with six Grands Prix and three Sprints to go. Russell scored 275 points in 22 rounds in 2022 and 245 in 24 rounds in 2024.

Mercedes are ‘tight-lipped’ about the impact of their front wing upgrade after George Russell’s Singapore GP win

Russell has also never won more than two Grands Prix in any season of his F1 career, having won one race in 2022, two in 2024 and two so far in 2025. But further victories could follow his glory at Marina Bay after the front wing upgrade that Mercedes ran in the Singapore GP.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell’s life outside F1 from net worth to height

While most teams are prioritising designing their cars for the 2026 F1 regulations, Mercedes have continued to make minor tweaks to the W16 that helped Russell win the Singapore GP from pole last Sunday. The latest of those changes came with a new front wing in Singapore.

Mercedes’ latest front wing was their fourth update since the FIA clamped down on flexible wings during round nine at June’s Spanish Grand Prix. Yet unlike their track-specific wings at Spa and Monza, Mercedes’ Singapore wing was created to improve the car’s overall balance.

And Auto Motor und Sport reports that Mercedes ‘suddenly’ now seem to have the balance between targeted flexion between fast and slow sectors under control due to the front wing they used at the Singapore GP. But a Mercedes engineer was ‘tight-lipped’ about its impact.

“The front wing issue is overrated,” the unnamed Mercedes engineer told AMuS. “The rules are clear, and the FIA ​​hasn’t raised any objections since.”

Mercedes have spent ‘a suspicious amount’ of time designing front wing updates

AMuS also suggests that Mercedes have spent ‘a suspicious amount’ of time designing front wing updates since the FIA’s clampdown reduced the amount of flexion permitted. Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Aston Martin have also continued to bring a raft of new front wing designs.

The FIA reduced the symmetrical vertical deflection allowed in its static tests from 15mm to 10mm, and from 20mm to 15mm when applied on one side. The clampdown was expected to make a bigger impact in the pecking order of the 2025 F1 field than it ultimately created.

So, Mercedes will now hope that continuing to invest in front wing upgrades can continue to deliver improved results, with Russell’s Singapore GP victory following on from his P2 in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix where they also used a new design for the high-speed streets of Baku.