Mercedes explains why its Sepang upgrade made the W17 harder to drive

Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta said on the team's own podcast that the floor and sidepod package introduced in Malaysia added downforce, but not consistently across conditions. That moved the aero balance forward, narrowed the operating window and made the rear less stable under braking. The team changed its set-up after the Singapore sprint and plans to bring a new front wing to Austin.