At the Sepang International Circuit, the Silver Arrows’ W17 will pay homage to the colours of their title partner Petronas, with the car featuring shades of green alongside its usual black.
The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia will mark F1’s return to Sepang for the first time since 2017.
“This weekend has extra significance for us because of our long-standing relationship with Petronas,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
“Once the cars are on track, though, our focus is on the job ahead. Sepang is a demanding circuit that asks every question of the car.
“You need performance in the high-speed corners, good traction, strong tyre management and consistency in hot, challenging conditions. It is one of the more complete tests on the calendar.”
For most of the 22 drivers on the grid, this will be their first time racing on this track, although 10 of them remember racing on the track in 2017 during the last Malaysian Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly and Lance Stroll will be returning to a familiar circuit while the rest have been trying to master it on simulators before the weekend.
“It’s fantastic to see Formula 1 returning to Sepang and we should also recognise the effort that has gone into making this Grand Prix happen,” Toto added.
“It has required strong collaboration between Malaysia and Bahrain, and that deserves credit.”
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