Mercedes will experience 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 202ꦚ2 is the most recent grand prix win for F1’s previously dominant team.

The W15 this se𒊎ason has so far failed tꦿo 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 Benson𝓀 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 yeaꦛr’s carꦆs.

“The rea🏅lity is that Mercedes 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 around now. It’s the sam🙈e team that dominated F1 for eight years.

“They are just nowhere. They are an u🐈pper midfield team now.

“They are lost. They don’t 🦩know why thei🐻r car isn’t quick. It’s as simple as that.

“They think they’ve gotꦅ good downforce but it’s not perf🐈orming 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 t꧂he grid, the best 💃moment in recent memory for him.

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

“What happened in the grand pr🌞ix was the result of the new sprint ൩format regulation changes,” Benson explained.

“They ar🏅e 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 ꦗresult of the year and the best result they will 𝕴have for a while, I think.

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

“But after the sprint♋ they thought: ‘The car is not g🔴reat, 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 “Hamilꦯton failed to make up ground in the race, early on.

“Once the field꧟ was compressed, he got back to where Mercedes 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 milꦅlion miles away from where they used to be, a⛄nd 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. Becau൲se you need the answer, the understanding, before you can make the progress.”

2024 is Ham🍷ilton’s final year with Mercedes b🐼efore he goes to Ferrari next year.

Who will replace H🐼amilton, alongside Russell, in 2025 is another crucial decision for Toto Wolff to make.