Overview
- Mercedes arrived in Montreal on Friday with a package that targets launch performance and also includes delayed aerodynamic updates.
- The changes include a reshaped driver-specific clutch paddle for Kimi Antonelli, revisions to the clutch system and software mapping to make starts more consistent.
- Poor standing starts have cost Mercedes positions this season despite strong race pace, with Antonelli losing places on six standing starts but still converting his first three poles into wins.
- Engine and data factors have complicated the fix: the season’s removal of the MGU-H increased turbo lag and made clutch bite mapping harder, and missed practice runs deprived drivers of grip and tyre data needed for reliable launches.
- Mercedes accepts responsibility for a wrong setup in the Miami Sprint, Russell says short-term major gains will be hard, and Montreal will be the first clear test of whether the start problem has been meaningfully reduced and how that affects the title fight.