Mercedes hatch plan to fix the W17’s ‘black hole’ with Canadian GP upgrades worth 0.3s per lap

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Mercedes plan to debut a big upgrade package at the 2026 F1 Canadian Grand Prix to reinforce the W17’s dominance for drivers Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

The Silver Arrows have had the perfect start to the year in Grand Prix conditions, to also see Antonelli lead Russell by 20 points atop the F1 drivers’ standings and hold a 41-point margin over Charles Leclerc in P3. Mercedes also lead Ferrari by 70 points in the teams’ standings.

But while Russell started 2026 by winning the season-opening Australian GP from pole and Antonelli has won the past three Grands Prix from pole, the updates that McLaren and Red Bull took to Miami last time out saw Mercedes’ lead at the front of the field start to shrink.

If Kimi Antonelli wins the title, how much would it damage George Russell’s reputation?

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Mercedes are working on new race start software as part of their Canadian GP upgrades

Mercedes only took two upgrades to Miami, having preferred to delay most of their updates until the Canadian GP. In contrast, McLaren’s seven updates helped Lando Norris win the F1 Sprint in Miami, and he might have beaten Antonelli in the Miami GP if he pitted a lap earlier.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli continued to make bad starts in Miami, as well, having lost places off the line in all four Grands Prix and the two F1 Sprints staged so far this year. So, Mercedes are now trying to refine new software that should allow them to reduce the impact of turbo lag off the line.

That is according to Motorsport.com, which reports that Mercedes acknowledge that slower starts have been a ‘black hole’ in the W17’s performance. McLaren have also found ways to improve their race starts for Norris and Oscar Piastri using the same Mercedes power unit.

Mercedes’ new start software is set to form a small part of their upgrade package in Canada on May 22-24. The Brackley natives have also been working on a new front wing and a floor in their wind tunnel, as part of an aerodynamic upgrade package worth 0.3 seconds per lap.

Reducing the weight of the W17 has also been central to Mercedes’ development plans this year. The Silver Arrows are thought to be working on a lighter gearbox and other details that could bring the W17 down to the minimum 768kg weight limit so that they can use ballast.

Engineers in Brackley are keen to give themselves the scope to introduce ballast by reducing the W17’s weight as it would let them move the weight around to improve the car’s balance. Should all of their updates deliver, then Mercedes can lay down a big marker for their rivals.

Mercedes will be well aware that the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve misled them a year ago when they reintroduced their upgraded rear suspension for the W16, however. Antonelli will also likely be worried about falling for any red herrings given the cost of that suspension update.

Russell won the 2025 Canadian GP with Mercedes’ upgraded rear suspension, after he also scored pole, and Antonelli took his first F1 podium in Montreal with P3. But the suspension upgrade did not improve the handling of the W16, and it actually worked against Mercedes.

Ultimately, team principal Toto Wolff said Mercedes’ rear suspension upgrade ended up “in the bin” after just four rounds of use. Despite the update initially being a success in Canada, Antonelli lost all confidence in Mercedes’ 2025 car because of how the W16 behaved with it.