Mercedes' surprise decision to introduce its major update at the 2023 F1 Monaco GP

Mercedes will bring its planned upgrades to the 2023 Monaco GP, despite having initially planned them for Imola. The 2023 Emilia Romagna GP was canceled due to torrential rainfall in the Emilia-Romagna region.

The first Italian race of the season was due to witness substantial updates from the majority of the 10 teams. Unfortunately, the event had to be canceled due to extensive flooding in the region, resulting in the paddock being nearly completely submerged.

Mercedes had plans to unveil a highly-anticipated package of changes for their car at the weekend, following their disappointment with the initial performance of the W14.

As the race will not be taking place, the next round of the season will be the Monaco Grand Prix, known for being the slowest race on the calendar. With the unique characteristics of the Monte Carlo street circuit, which demands low-speed maneuvering and maximum downforce, teams are considering the higher risk of damage and contemplating delaying their upgrades until the following round in Barcelona.

Ferrari, for instance, is expected to postpone the introduction of revised suspension for their SF-23 until the Spanish Grand Prix instead of implementing it in Monaco.

It is still unclear whether the Silver Arrows will tweak their new upgrades to suit the Monegasque track, should they unveil the upgrades in Monaco.

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Mercedes' poor weekend at the 2023 Miami GP analyzed by pundit

According to F1 pundit Mark Hughes, Mercedes seems to be grappling with their 2023 contender, the W14, as they appear to be somewhat "lost." During the Miami Grand Prix, both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell faced challenges in qualifying but showcased better performance during the race.

Lewis Hamilton encountered difficulties in getting a handle on his W14 during qualifying, resulting in his elimination in Q2, a surprising outcome for the seven-time world champion. Russell, on the other hand, made it to the final qualifying round but struggled to make a strong impression. The former Williams driver grappled with the car's balance and experienced unexpected vibrations through his steering wheel.

Despite their struggles in qualifying, Russell managed to secure a commendable fourth-place finish in the main race, while his teammate Hamilton finished in sixth position. Interestingly, the Mercedes drivers outperformed Ferrari, who appeared to be in better form during qualifying conditions.

Speaking about Mercedes on the Race podcast, Mark Hughes said about their struggles:

"They are just lost with this car. They have a big update coming next race at Imola. Different front suspension and new bodywork. And they hope that that's going to enlighten them a little bit on the things that they expected of the car as they build up a picture of it from one track to the next over the season. It just doesn't play out that way. We saw this last year with the W13 as well."

With the team taking its upgrades to Monaco, it will be interesting to see if they can slowly make their way back to the top.