Mercedes are still competing to secure P2 in the constructors’ championship this season but their drivers have never been able to lay a glove on Red Bu𓆏ll’s M⭕ax Verstappen in the hunt for the drivers’ title.

Hamilton and Russell both signed fre✱sh terms to remain at Mercedes but technical expert Gary Anderson insists that next season’s W15 will still be problematic.

“You would expect a team of Mercedes’ stature, experience and budget – th⛄ey are there to win, not finish fifth and seventh – to improve th💜eir car during the season but they have not,” former Jordan technical director Anderson told . 

“It is very unlikely that the team will have miraculous developme𝄹nt over the winter.

“Looking at the current rate of progress within the top five teams, I would expect Mercedes to be at best the fourth fastest team at the start of next year.&nಞbsp;

“You have to prove🌜 to yourself that you understand your problems and after 20 months a♓nd 38 races since these ground effect rules came into play I am yet to see this. 

“A team cannot just put all their hopes in🌃to the winter.

“Not﷽ much has changed since the start of la𒁏st year. They appear to go into a race meeting not having a clue what to expect. 

“If I was at the team I would not have confidence tha❀t the direction they are taking next year – whatever it is – is the correct one. 

“They will probably𓆏 be heading in the visual direction of Red Bull, but the visual side is only a small part in the overall performance of the car.”

Mercedes began this season sticking to their ‘zeropod’ idea but, after just one race in Bahrain where they disappoi🌌nted, they conceded that the philosophy was flawed.

McLaren, no𓃲tably, have proved that copying Red Bull’s concept can yield g🌊reater results.

But Anderson again warns that being inspired by the RB19 🧸goes beyond what the car looks like: “The visual concept is something that mak👍es the car work, but you have to do all the other non-visual stuff with it too, like understanding the detail on the under-floor. 

“McLare🉐n seem to understand that well now after their woeful start. Becoming Red Bull-alikes, if you will, has taken them (and other teams) forward.

“This is the main area where Mercedes are lost. If they are going to start again 𝓀with their car, they need to begi🔯n in this area.”

Hamilton’s new contract with Mercedes🧸, which will take him to the age of 40, has piled the pressure on Toto Wolff’sꦦ team to deliver their illustrious driver a car capable of winning.

Yet, Anderson fear꧅s a third year of stru🌸ggle for Hamilton and Mercedes.

“The overall package is just not working and I do not💯 see that they have a route planned out of this,” he said. 

“Pinning your hopes on development between sea༒sons is a little blind and is concerning. 

“If they are not making progress when the cars are on track, how are they going to do that when there is no runni�ℱ�ng in the off-season?”