Mercedes ‘data sheet’ shows how they plan to improve George Russell’s car before the Australian GP

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Mercedes have officially unveiled the W17 following their livery reveal in January, and the technical data sheet that accompanies the launch houses a couple of interesting details on their future plans.

Despite F1’s inaugural shakedown week largely occurring behind closed doors at the Circuit de Catalunya, a lot has been inferred about the current pecking order of the grid ahead of the new season.

Out of the majority of teams that made it to Barcelona for the test, Mercedes looked to have been the most impressive.

The German constructor enjoyed a relatively painless three-day schedule, unlike most other teams, who found issues at some point or another.

• READ MORE: Mercedes insiders used one word to describe Adrian Newey’s 2026 Aston Martin F1 car after testing

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Mercedes are planning on introducing a ballast to the W17 ahead of the Australian Grand Prix

According to a report from Motorsport Italia, the technical data sheet that was released upon the official unveiling of the Mercedes W17 houses two ‘interesting’ details that refer to the weight of the car.

It details how the power unit is within the weight limit set out by the FIA in the new technical regulations, and the complete car is listed as 772kg, two kilograms more than the minimum weight.

The report notes that it is exactly the same weight as what Ferrari had listed in their own respective data sheet upon the reveal of the SF-26, and also debunks previous claims that the lowered minimum weight would be a ‘complicated undertaking’ when the new ruleset was initially released.

However, the ace up Mercedes’ sleeve is that they actually plan to dip below the minimum weight once the cars take to the circuit in March, and introduce a tungsten ballast to the chassis in order to improve balance and meet the required guidelines.

This will allow the Silver Arrows to explore further opportunities when setting up the car for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli ahead of the meaningful sessions on a race weekend.

It also further reinforces the idea that they are slightly ahead of the competition at this moment in time, after it emerged that Mercedes had switched focus to setup testing in Barcelona rather than the initial reliability programmes that everyone began the week with.

READ MORE: Ferrari already lagging behind ‘more advanced’ Mercedes engine work after first 2026 shakedown

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F1 has been trying to reduce the weight of cars for many years now

The reduction in minimum weight is something that many figures in F1 have called for in the past, given the size that cars have peaked at in recent years.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali shared his desire for a smaller silhouette in the past, and was granted his wish upon the reveal of the technical regulations that are shaking up the grid at this moment in time.

Many believed that the lower minimum weight would result in even more carbon-fibre liveries, due to the advantage cars can get from utilising less paint on the bodywork.

However, a new rule was imposed in November, which orders every F1 team to cover at least 55% of their car with paint, to promote brand identity and increase fan affinity as the sport continues to grow each year.