After persisting with its troubled 2022 concept, Mercedes found out even before the season started that it had likely made the wrong decision and instead devoted its development resources towards a changed floor and sidepod concept, which is being readied for next month's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
It remains committed to that course change, even if Hamilton and George Russell performed a lot stronger in Melbourne's Australian Grand Prix. They qualified third and second respectively, with Russell within three tenths of Red Bull's polesitter Max Verstappen, and Russell briefly led the race while Hamilton took second at the finish.
