A special blue Mercedes livery is heading to Austin. So is the latest W17 aerodynamic package, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli set to run the same specification after Mercedes’ difficult Singapore experiment.
Mercedes has revealed the W17’s new colours for the United States Grand Prix, but there is a more important detail in its plans for the weekend: both drivers will use the latest aerodynamic package, including the front wing tested only briefly in Singapore.
For a team that has spent the last two races trying to understand its own upgrade, Austin is less about unveiling new parts than making sense of the ones it already has.
Blue for Austin — and only Austin
The Mercedes livery reveal on X, posted on Wednesday 21 October, shows flashes of blue across the W17 alongside its familiar black, silver and PETRONAS green. The special design is linked to Mercedes-Benz’s MANUFAKTUR personalisation programme, rather than a permanent change to the team’s colours.
The theme carries into the paddock. Antonelli has chosen steel blue for his race suit, Russell vintage blue, and both will use personalised Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupés in matching colours. The team garage will receive a MANUFAKTUR makeover too.
Fans in Texas can also visit the free Mercedes fan hub at 400 Congress Avenue from 22 to 25 October, where the attractions include simulators, pit-stop activities and a 2026 show car. The livery is the headline attraction off track; it is not an aerodynamic update.
Russell and Antonelli back on the same specification
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has confirmed in his 21 October United States GP preview that the latest package is planned for both W17s. It follows a revealing — if inconclusive — comparison in Singapore.
At Marina Bay, Russell ran the older specification used during his strong Azerbaijan weekend. Antonelli kept the revised car introduced at Sepang. Mercedes wanted to know whether the upgrade itself was the problem or whether it simply needed a different set-up to bring out the performance.
Russell was quicker in Sprint Qualifying, but Antonelli improved as the weekend went on and finished third in the Grand Prix. Russell recovered from the back of the grid to ninth. The Singapore race result offered little scope for a neat old-versus-new verdict: the drivers had very different weekends, and the revised car’s balance changed with set-up adjustments.
What was changed on the W17?
The FIA car-presentation submission for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia lists seven Mercedes aerodynamic changes. Four relate to the floor: its boards, leading edge, corners and body, including the diffuser. There were also revisions to the rear suspension fairings, rear-corner winglets and rear bodywork.
Mercedes designed the parts to improve aerodynamic load and direct cleaner airflow towards the rear of the car. The submission sets out what the engineers intended to achieve; it is not a record of how much faster the W17 became.
The team’s own assessment is more nuanced. The newer specification appears to produce extra downforce, but Mercedes has struggled to make that advantage available consistently. Wolff acknowledged in Singapore that it was more difficult to drive. A car with greater peak load is of limited use if the drivers cannot trust its balance from one corner to the next.
Why the new front wing disappeared in Singapore
Antonelli ran Mercedes’ revised front wing in Singapore’s only practice session, then returned to the earlier design. That looked like a rejection of the part, but deputy team principal Bradley Lord subsequently explained that the team had brought only one example and never intended to race it at Marina Bay. Without a spare, damage could have created a much bigger problem later in the weekend.
The practice run was a test to collect data ahead of Austin. Lord has said the plan is for both drivers to use the revised wing with the updated package in Texas. That is the team’s intention as of 21 October; the final specification on each car still needs checking when the FIA technical declarations and practice running become available.
Austin gives Mercedes time to work
Unlike Singapore’s Sprint meeting, Circuit of The Americas offers three practice sessions. Mercedes can try different ride heights and set-up directions without going almost straight from one practice hour into competitive running.
The circuit also poses a useful question for the updated W17. The rapid changes of direction through the Esses demand a responsive front end; the slower corners need a car that puts power down cleanly. On the long straight, teams must also consider drag and electrical energy deployment. Add Austin’s bumps and finding a consistent operating window becomes a genuine engineering exercise.
Mercedes will be looking for a car that feels predictable on more than a single qualifying lap. Until Friday provides comparable running, there is no evidence that the new specification has delivered a lap-time advantage at Austin.
A title fight behind the garage decisions
Antonelli starts the weekend 102 points ahead of Russell. He has a mathematical chance of clinching the Drivers’ Championship on Sunday, although he must win and needs other results to fall his way. Our Austin title permutations explain the numbers, while the full United States GP preview covers the circuit and session schedule.
Russell cannot afford to keep conceding points, while Antonelli has little incentive to force an uncertain car beyond its limits. The two drivers need different results from Austin, but both need Mercedes to understand the W17 again.
Tech Torque Verdict
The blue MANUFAKTUR livery gives Mercedes a smart Austin talking point. The real story is the decision to trust its latest aerodynamic package on both cars after a fortnight spent questioning it.
The floor and bodywork revisions have not been written off, and the front wing was never abandoned in Singapore. That makes Austin an important test of the team’s development direction, not proof that it has found extra pace. Mercedes has explained what it plans to run. Now it needs the track to provide the answer.
