How a "baked in" F1 flaw consigned Mercedes to a year of recovery

After eight consecutive Formula 1 constructors’ titles, Mercedes was caught out by the new ground-effects regulations in 2022. That triggered a season of hard work and recovery, culminating in a famous 1-2 led by new signing George Russell in Brazil

"Desperately disappointing." There aren't many Formula 1 squads that would feel this way after securing a season-opener podium. But, as team director of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin tells Motorsport.com, that was precisely Mercedes' reaction to Lewis Hamilton's third place in Bahrain, behind the two Ferrari drivers.

To call it a shock would be something of an understatement. F1's dominant squad, the constructors' champion for eight straight years, had been humbled, needing both Red Bulls to drop out with fuel-pump failures in order to make the rostrum.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.