What happened: Mercedes will divide aerodynamic packages between its garages for the Marina Bay sprint weekend to troubleshoot the Malaysia update. George Russell will run the previous specification with Kimi Antonelli remaining on the upgrade.

Why it matters: Russell carries a mandatory engine penalty after the late Sepang power-unit failure, leaving him starting at the back where overtaking is limited. With only one 60-minute practice before parc ferme locks the sprint setup, the compromised car becomes the controlled comparison without costing Antonelli's championship bid.

What to watch: Watch opening practice times for the spec gap and whether Mercedes commits to one direction after the sprint.