SEPANG — Mercedes will run its W17 cars in a one-off green-and-black livery to celebrate title partner Petronas and Formula 1's return to Malaysia, unveiling the special design ahead of this weekend's race at the Sepang International Circuit from 2-4 October. The event marks F1's first visit to Sepang since 2017 and will officially be staged as the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The original Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for April was cancelled due to the war in the Middle East, with the Sepang round retaining the Bahrain Grand Prix title under an agreement between F1, the FIA and the governments of Bahrain and Malaysia. Mercedes confirmed Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will drive the W17 in the Petronas-inspired livery, while also introducing its first major upgrade package since the Canadian Grand Prix as it chases a first victory at Sepang since 2014.
"This weekend has extra significance for us because of our long-standing relationship with Petronas," Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said. "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. Once the cars are on track, though, our focus is on the job ahead. Sepang is a demanding circuit that asks every question of the car." Wolff added the team has not been in the fight for pole position on more conventional tracks recently, with Monza and Baku presenting unique challenges. "We are bringing an update package this weekend, and that is an important step for us," he said. "The update is hopefully another step forward, but there are no guarantees in F1. The stopwatch is always the final judge."
Antonelli arrives in Malaysia holding a 66-point advantage over team-mate Russell in the championship. Mercedes said the focus at Sepang will be on understanding the new package quickly, managing tyres in hot conditions and executing the weekend to put both cars in the fight at the front.