The ‘small duvet’ problem that Mercedes thinks it can put to bed

It could be interpreted as a depressing moment for drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to feel that they need to tread water for a bit longer with a car that they know is not yet delivering what is hoped for.

But, on the other hand, Wolff’s statement suggests the team knows what has gone wrong and exactly what needs to be done to get it sorted. So, it is encouraging that the plan and timetable are in place.

From Hamilton’s perspective, the situation is much more the latter.

“I wouldn’t say it’s depressing – it’s just a patience game,” said Hamilton at Imola. “You are just making do with what you have, making the most of the tools that you have at your disposal today, tomorrow and this weekend. But it is really encouraging that we are seeing progress back in the factory and the wind tunnel.

“We do have new components coming and that’s always an exciting part of the processes: trying lots of different things and then finding out what works and what doesn’t. And the fact that we do have kind of a direction forwards, and we’ve tested it on the simulator, then you’re just like itching to get those bits.”

While there is no public confirmation about the timing of the Mercedes upgrades, it is understood that the plan is to have the full package in place for the Canadian Grand Prix next month – although parts could be brought forward to Monaco if they are ready in time.

And the explanation for Hamilton’s hint at Mercedes having a “direction” is believed to refer to the team’s focus on curing one of the key weaknesses of the W15 that has been exposed this season.

The German manufacturer has been convinced that there is plenty of goodness in its 2024 challenger, but the difficulty has been in extracting all of it.

Around the time of the Saudi Arabian GP, it felt that the car was pretty competitive in low- and medium-speed corners, but was simply struggling in the high-speed.

Attention focused on sorting out those high-speed problems but, in moving the performance parameters of its car to show better in that area, it found that its low-speed pace was compromised.

As Wolff said about the evidence from Suzuka, where the car had been brilliant through the Esses: “You gain half a second in…