upgrade package for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, targeting
reliability rather than performance. The German manufacturer has
been left frustrated by numerous battery failures across the
opening seven rounds, with all Mercedes-powered teams suffering
from similar issues. Antonelli had overtaken George Russell for
second in Barcelona in the closing laps before pulling to the side
of the circuit and retiring moments later following a battery
failure of his own. Russell suffered a similar retirement while
leading in Canada, while McLaren’s Lando Norris has also failed to
finish races due to problems with Mercedes’ battery. It has already
cost Mercedes significant points this season. However, in a bid to
solve the issues, an upgraded battery will be introduced at the Red
Bull Ring. According to Antonelli, the new Energy Recovery System
(ERS) pack is designed to improve reliability and durability, and
he will use it in Austria. Asked what the team has told him about
the battery failures, Antonelli told select media, including
RacingNews365 : “I don’t think it’s always been related to a
temperature issue, but this weekend we have a new ERS pack with
updates to improve the durability and reliability of the package.
“Hopefully, you know, the team has been working super hard because
we’ve definitely been suffering from this kind of issue quite
often. “This first big update isn’t really about performance; it’s
all about trying to make sure these issues don’t happen again. But
I’m sure the team is finding a way, and I think it’s a good step
forward.”