Mercedes will experience at leaꦦst a four-yea🥀r win-less drought, it has been predicted.

Geo💝rge Russell’s victory in Sao Paulo at the end of a glum 2022 is the most recent grand prix win for F1’s previously dominant tea🌳m.

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

🔯“It’s brutal to say it,” BBC F1 jou♌rnalist Andrew Benson told the Chequered Flag podcast.

“But the reality for Mercedes, given we’re coming to the en🉐d of April, so𝔍 they are already laying down the design for next year’s cars.

“The reality is that Merce🥃des will not be winning races before 2026 at the earliest, which is the new regulation change (chassis and engine).”

He continued: “It’s something we have to get our heads arou𒁃nd now. It’s the same team t💜hat dominated F1 for eight years.

“They are just nowhere.🧜 Th൲ey are an upper midfield team now.

“They are lost. They don’t kno🐽w why their car isn’t quick. It’s as simple as that.

“Theyꦇ think they’ve got good 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 elated from sprint qualifying. He was P2 on the grid, the best moment iꦺn recent memory for him.

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

“What hap🌌pened in the grand prix was the result of the new sprint format regulation changes,” Benson explained.

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

“Hami♏lton did well in the sprint to hold onto second. That’s easily his and Mercedes’ best result♑ of the year and the best result they will have for a while, I think.

“He was very good in wet qualifying, as he alway𓂃s is.

“But after the sprint they t🌳hought: ‘The car is not great, we need to learnꦰ, let’s just try something’.

“They tried something o🐼n both cars. They both went in a different set-up direction. They both made the car worse, as a result.

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

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

“In 🔴the contex𝐆t of 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, ཧit𝔍’s not that big of a surprise that the team as a whole are depressed about it.

“If you don’t know why you’re not quick, you can’t make yourself quick. Because you need the answer, the understanding, before you can make the progre🦩ss.”

2024 is Hamilton’💫s f🅰inal year with Mercedes before he goes to Ferrari next year.

Who will replace Hamilton, alongside Russell, in 2025🐻 is another crucial decision for Toto Wolff 🅷to make.