Mercedes had been looking forward to the now-cancelled Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, as they prepared to roll out their newly designed W14.
However, with the event called off due to the deadly floods in the region, the team and fans alike will have to wait until Monaco to see the new set up take to the circuit.
The most significant change expected from Mercedes is an alteration to their ‘no sidepods’ concept, which has left them off the pace in the new era of regulations.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has been seeking to downplay expectations ahead of the upgrades but it’s clear that it will tackle one of Lewis Hamilton’s biggest bug bear.
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The seating position is being tweaked as Mercedes has been sitting closer to the front wheels than other drivers.
“When I drive, it feels like I’m sitting on the front wheels, and that’s one of the worst feelings in a racing car for me. I have to admit that I have a lot of trouble with it,” Hamilton said previously.
“It’s true that our cockpit is a little further forward than some of the others and that irritates Lewis. That was already the case in 2022,” Wolff explained.
“From a technical point of view, we don’t think it’s a problem. But we are looking at the drivers’ position because it’s not just about rational things like weight distribution or aerodynamics, it’s about the feeling for the driver.
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“Lewis has been very clear about what he wants from us and we will listen to that.”
Alongside Mercedes, Ferrari had been expected to bring upgrades to its underperforming car but the Italian team are postponing the roll out of their new parts.
Ferrari believes that Monaco is too risky a track for the new set up to be deployed, with its famously tight turns, now planning to debut them in Spain next month.