Mercedes will sport a striking Petronas-themed livery at the Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend. The W17s of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will feature significantly more of Petronas’ signature turquoise alongside their usual black colour scheme.
Petronas has been associated with Mercedes since the manufacturer returned to F1 as a works team in 2010, making the championship’s return to Malaysia extra special for the squad. “This weekend has extra significance for us because of our long-standing relationship with Petronas,” said Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal.
Sepang International Circuit will host F1 for the first time since 2017, although the race will officially be known as the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Bahrain had originally been due to stage its race in April before the event was cancelled because of the war in the Middle East. An agreement between F1, the FIA and the two countries allows the replacement round to take place in Malaysia while retaining the Bahrain name.
Wolff also recognised the efforts behind the event. “It’s fantastic to see Formula 1 returning to Sepang and we should also recognise the effort that has gone into making this grand prix happen. It has required strong collaboration between Malaysia and Bahrain, and that deserves credit,” he added.
Alongside the special livery, Mercedes will introduce its first significant upgrade since the Canadian Grand Prix as it attempts to improve its competitiveness on more conventional circuits. “We are bringing an update package this weekend, and that is an important step for us,” Wolff said.
Wolff admitted Mercedes had not challenged as strongly as it wanted at more representative venues in recent races. “At the more representative circuits in recent races, we have not been where we want to be. Monza and Baku presented unique challenges, but on the more conventional tracks we have not been in the fight for pole position. We know that and we are working hard to change it,” he explained.
“The update is hopefully another step forward, but there are no guarantees in F1. The stopwatch is always the final judge. Our focus is on understanding the package quickly, executing the weekend well, and aiming to put ourselves in the fight at the front,” Wolff concluded.
Antonelli heads into the weekend holding a 66-point advantage over team-mate Russell in the championship. Mercedes has only once won at Sepang, with Lewis Hamilton converting pole position into victory in 2014.
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