Mercedes wi☂ll ex𝕴perience at least a four-year win-less drought, it has been predicted.

George Russell’s victory in Sao Paulo at the end of a glum 2022 is the most recent grand prix win for F1’ꩵs previously d🙈ominant team.

The W15 this season has so far failed to inspire optimism and it will be 2026 before Mercedes stand on the top step of the podium again, they have 🌞been warned.

“It’s brutal to say 🐈it❀,” BBC F1 journalist Andrew Benson told the Chequered Flag podcast.

“But the reality for Mercedes, given we’re coming t🍸o the e🎃nd of April, so they are already laying down the design for next year’s cars.

“The reality is that Mercedes will not be winning races before 2026 at the earliest, which is the new regulatioᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚn change (chassis and engine).”

He continued: “It’s something we have to get our heads around now. It’s the same team🌠 that domi✃nated F1 for eight years.

“They are just nowhere. They are an upper m𒆙idfield team now.

“They are 𒊎lost. They don’t kn𝕴ow why their car isn’t quick. It’s as simple as that.

“They think they’ve got goꦜod downforce but it’s not performing as it’s expected to do when it’s on the track.”

At last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton emerged elate🥀d from sprint qualifying. He was P2 o⛄n the grid, the best moment in recent memory for him.

But after finishing second in the sprint race, a revised set-up result🍸ed in a dreadful qualifying error and he started the grand prix from 18th, and finished ninth.

“What happened in the grand prix was the result of𓃲 the new sprint format regulation changes,” Benson exꦚplained.

“They are searching for answers as to why the car isn’t what they🍨 think it is. Why it isn’t quick.

“Hamilton did well in the sprint to hold o🌺nto second. That’s easily h𝕴is and Mercedes’ best result of the year and the best result they will have for a while, I think.

“He was very good in wet๊ qua🐼lifying, as he always is.

“But after the sprint they thought: ‘The car is not great,💎 we need to learn, let’s just t🙈ry something’.

“They tried ꦺsomething on both cars. They both went in a different s💯et-up direction. They both made the car worse, as a result.

“It’s not a surprise, with a ꦯworse car, that “Hamilton failed to make up ground in the race, early on.

“Once the field was compressꩲed, he got back to where Mercedes told him that he’d finish.

“In the context o🃏f where they are, it 🌱was a good day for them.”

✤He continued: “They are a million miles away from where they used to be, and from where we are used to them being.

“As a result, it’s not that big of a surprise that thꦇe 🌳team as a whole are depressed about it.

“If you don’t know why you’re not quick, you can’t make yoursel🎶f quick. Because you need the answer, the understanding, before you can make the progress.”

2024 is Hamilton’s final ye🐷ar with Mercedes before he goes to F𓃲errari next year.

Who will replace Hamilton, alongside 🐠Russell, in 20ಞ25 is another crucial decision for Toto Wolff to make.