{
  "id": 11660995,
  "title": "Upgrades backfire as Wolff admits Mercedes going backwards",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/upgrades-backfire-as-wolff-admits-mercedes-going-backwards",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-03T10:24:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/upgrades-backfire-wolff-admits-mercedes-going-backwards-6429061"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mercedes boss Toto Wolff expressed confusion after his team's upgrade package failed in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia on Saturday. Red Bull's Max Verstappen secured pole position, becoming the first driver this year to do so with a car without a Mercedes engine, while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton joined him on the front row. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth for Mercedes but will start third due to Red Bull's Isack Hadjar's five-place grid penalty. Antonelli's teammate George Russell was eighth fastest in qualifying and will start seventh on the grid.\n\nWolff acknowledged that the team faced issues with car behavior during Friday's sessions, which he described as very hot and with a tarmac significantly different from other tracks. He mentioned that Mercedes was \"very draggy,\" losing time on the straights to Verstappen, and experiencing understeer in low-speed corners. The session dealt a significant blow to Antonelli and Russell, who was second in the championship and had been closing the gap to his team mate by 66 points in Azerbaijan.\n\nRussell expressed disappointment with the lack of improvement since the first practice session and highlighted the demanding nature of the Bahrain circuit on the tyres. He noted that the rough tarmac and extreme heat were causing the tyres to suffer more than usual. Despite the setback, Russell remained hopeful about securing a podium finish, attributing the challenge to the harsh conditions at the circuit. Wolff remained confident in the potential of the upgrade package, stating that they needed to delve deeper into the data to understand the issues and work together to address them.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Mercedes upgrade package failed in Bahrain qualifying",
    "Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on pole for Mercedes-less cars",
    "Toto Wolff acknowledges car behavior issues in hot conditions"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Upgrades backfire as Wolff admits Mercedes going backwards",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/upgrades-backfire-as-wolff-admits-mercedes-going-backwards-11665584",
        "published": "2026-10-03T10:44:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}