Allison says Mercedes' Update 18 made W17 harder to drive

Mercedes technical director James Allison has admitted that the team's latest major aerodynamic package, known as Update 18, made the W17 more difficult to handle late in the 2026 season. Speaking on the NU Silver Arrows Radio Show, Allison said the parts added downforce but also subtracted performance in areas the team had not expected.

Allison also explained that Mercedes started the year on the minimum weight limit of 768 kilograms, while rivals carried extra mass that they later shed. As the grid converged, the W17's difficult handling made it harder to extract pace, according to Allison.