Mercedes have acted to address a clear weak point from the opening phase of the season: sluggish getaways. A key change aimed at improving Kimi Antonelli’s launches has begun to deliver, with the team finally preserving a front-row 1-2 into Turn 1 in the Montreal Sprint — a first this year.
Across the early rounds, Mercedes’ cars struggled to convert qualifying strength into race-leading track position. Even from front-row lockouts, they were routinely beaten to the first corner by Ferraris or McLarens, exposing a deficit in startline acceleration. The issue was most notable for Antonelli, who leads the championship yet had repeatedly been vulnerable off the grid.
In recent events, that gap has been steadily reduced. While the specific details of the modification were not disclosed in the available information, Mercedes targeted the critical launch phase to aid Antonelli and stabilise both cars’ starts. The outcome in Montreal marked tangible progress, with both drivers retaining formation off the line and into the opening corner.
The stakes are obvious. Track position at the start shapes strategy options, tyre management windows, and the ability to control race pace — especially at venues where overtaking is limited. For Mercedes, mitigating the launch weakness removes an easy avenue for rivals to gain ground and better reflects the pace they have shown in qualifying.
Holding position in the Montreal Sprint offers a useful proof point, but the real test will be consistency across different circuits, grip levels and ambient conditions. Rivals Ferrari and McLaren will be alert to any further gains, and how reliably Mercedes can now convert front-row starts into race leads could be pivotal in the championship picture.
All eyes now turn to the coming rounds to see whether this improvement becomes a repeatable strength — and whether competitors counter with their own refinements to the all-important getaway phase.
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*Originally published on [Formula 1 News](https://newsformula.one/article/mercedes-key-change-boosts-antonelli-s-race-starts-in-montreal). Visit for full coverage.*
