Mercedes has revealed a striking one-off green-and-black livery for its W17 cars to celebrate F1’s highly anticipated return to Malaysia and honor title partner Petronas. The Sepang International Circuit will host its first Grand Prix since 2017 this weekend (October 2–4), although the event will officially be called the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia due to rescheduling and diplomatic agreements.
To mark the occasion, both Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will drive the updated W17s in the special livery. Mercedes is also rolling out its first major upgrade package since the Canadian Grand Prix, aiming for its first Sepang victory since 2014.
“This weekend has extra significance for us because of our long-standing relationship with Petronas,” said team principal Toto Wolff. “It’s fantastic to see Formula 1 returning to Sepang… Sepang is a demanding circuit that asks every question of the car. You need performance in high-speed corners, good traction, strong tyre management, and consistency in hot, challenging conditions.”
Wolff emphasized the importance of the new upgrade: “We are bringing an update package this weekend, and that is an important step for us… The update is hopefully another step forward, but there are no guarantees in F1. The stopwatch is always the final judge. Our focus is on understanding the package quickly, executing the weekend well, and aiming to put ourselves in the fight at the front.”
Antonelli arrives in Malaysia with a commanding 66-point championship lead over Russell, as Mercedes looks to make the most of its return to Sepang with both performance and style.
