Mercedes will arrive at the Bahrain Grand Prix, hosted this year at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit, with a new update package as team principal Toto Wolff acknowledges the squad has fallen short of pole contention on conventional tracks in recent rounds.
Wolff confirmed the upgrade ahead of the race weekend, framing it as a necessary step after a difficult stretch of results. “We are bringing an update package this weekend, and that is an important step for us,” Wolff said in a preview published by the team. “At the more representative circuits in recent races, we have not been where we want to be.”
The Mercedes boss was direct in his assessment of the team’s recent form, drawing a distinction between the atypical street and power circuits that preceded this round and the more conventional layouts where the car’s weaknesses have been exposed. “Monza and Baku presented unique challenges, but on the more conventional tracks we have not been in the fight for pole position,” Wolff said.
The race carries added weight for Mercedes given the team’s long-standing commercial relationship with PETRONAS, the Malaysian state energy company and the team’s Title and Technical Partner. “This weekend has extra significance for us because of our long-standing relationship with PETRONAS,” Wolff said. “It’s fantastic to see Formula One 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.”
On the circuit itself, Wolff described Sepang as one of the most demanding venues on the calendar. “Sepang is a demanding circuit that asks every question of the car. You need performance in the high-speed corners, good traction, strong tyre management and consistency in hot, challenging conditions. It is one of the more complete tests on the calendar.”
Wolff tempered expectations around the update, stopping short of guaranteeing a step forward in competitiveness. “The update is hopefully another step forward, but there are no guarantees in F1. The stopwatch is always the final judge,” he said. “Our focus is on understanding the package quickly, executing the weekend well, and aiming to put ourselves in the fight at the front.”