Mercedes will experience at least a four-year win-less droug🤡ht, 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’s previously dominant tea🗹m.

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

“It’s brutal to say it,” BBC F1 journalist Andre🎃w ꦑBenson told the Chequered Flag podcast.

“But the reality for Mercedes, given we’re coming to the end 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 regul🔯ation change (chassis💮 and engine).”

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

“They are just nowhere. T𒊎hey are an upper midfield team now.

“They are 🍬lost. They don’t know why their car isn’t quick. It’s as simple as that.

“They think they’ve got good downforce but it’s not per🦋forming as it’s expected to do when it’s on the track.”

At last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton emerged elated from spཧꦓrint qualifying. He was P2 on the grid, the best moment in 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, and f🎶inished ninth.

“What happened in the grand prix wa🍷s the result of the new spr🦄int 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.

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

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

“But after the spri♓nt they thಞought: ‘The car is not great, we need to learn, let’s just try something’.

“They tried something on 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 f♍ield was compressed, he got back to where Merce🏅des told him that he’d finish.

“In the context 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, it’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 progress.”

2024 is Hamilton’s final year w♉ith Mercedes before he goes to Ferrari next year.

Who will replace Hamilton, alongside Russell, in 20ܫ25 is another crucial decisi𒆙on for Toto Wolff to make.