The team that has barely needed to develop is developing anyway.

Toto Wolff has confirmed that Mercedes will introduce their first significant aerodynamic upgrade since the Canadian Grand Prix at this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, the Mercedes boss told reporters ahead of the race.

“We are bringing an update package this weekend, and that is an important step for us,” Wolff said.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will both race the new parts, with the changes concentrated on the W17’s floor, sidepods and wing elements, according to a technical breakdown by RacingNews365.

Read also: Saliba is back for Arsenal

Antonelli 66 points clear of Russell

Antonelli leads the drivers’ standings on 302 points, 66 clear of teammate Russell on 236, with Lewis Hamilton third for Ferrari on 199, the series’ own classification shows. Lando Norris is fourth for McLaren on 186, Charles Leclerc fifth on 179, and Max Verstappen sixth on 163.

Mercedes carry a 160-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship.

What rivals find uncomfortable about the Sepang package is less its scale than its timing. The W17 has run all season on its original power unit specification, with a Mercedes engine update still pending on the development path. Competitors are concerned, the same analysis reports, “not so much because of the scale of the package itself, but because of what it could mean for Mercedes’ advantage over the field, particularly with a power unit upgrade still to come.”

Wolff plays down the upgrade

Wolff was careful not to oversell the new parts.

Read also: Jorge Jesus reveals what Cristiano Ronaldo told him before Portugal exit

“The update is hopefully another step forward, but there are no guarantees in F1,” he said.

He also pointed to recent weekends where Mercedes’ pace has slipped at tracks that reward raw car performance.

“At the more representative circuits in recent races, we have not been where we want to be.”

Verstappen braces for a harder weekend

Max Verstappen offered a short but telling response when asked about the Mercedes development.

Read also: Mbappé celebrates injury nightclubbing

“Like George said, for Malaysia, if they’re bringing an upgrade, it’s going to look a little bit more difficult for us,” Verstappen said.

Sepang has not hosted a Formula 1 race since 2017, Formula 1 itself notes, and takes over this weekend as a replacement venue for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which could not be staged at Sakhir in April due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Qualifying is on Saturday 3 October at 4:30pm local time, with lights out for the race on Sunday 4 October at 3pm local time.

Read also: Jorge Jesus breaks silence as Portugal’s Ronaldo crisis deepens