Wolff: We’ve got to analyse if upgrades caused the bouncing

Mercedes brought a major upgrade package to their W14 last weekend at Spa, with new sidepods and revised floor the main elements of the revised package.

However, and despite Hamilton finishing fourth in Sunday's race behind Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, and Charles Leclerc, the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion complained about severe bouncing in his car, an issue we haven't heard about at Mercedes since 2022's nightmare they had with the W13.

Reflecting on Mercedes final weekend before the break, Wolff told Motorsport.com: "The main limiting factor was the bouncing - the car was just bouncing literally on every straight.

"Even Blanchimont was a corner where Lewis had to lift, and it is an easy flat normally. So, you’re bouncing on the straight, you overheat the tyres under braking, and that is a vicious circle.

"It was the main limiting factor this weekend. It’s frustrating to check out for the holidays like this but [the next few days] we’ve got to understand more based on the data," he added.

Asked whether the bouncing was related to the latest upgrades Mercedes bolted on the W14, Wolff responded: "We’ve got to analyse it.

"There is so much hard work that’s been going on for the upgrade. The aero guys, and the operations to deliver that upgrade, you’ve got to take your hat off to them.

"I think the floor could have been the reason why we’ve been bouncing, but we’re going to see it in the data," the Austrian reflected.

But he insisted the path the team are now pursuing, having binned their slim sidepod concept since Monaco, is the right one.

He said: "Maybe there’s something that we need to find, because I still believe the direction that we’re going now is the right one."

In Mercedes' post race press release, Wolff added: "Going into the summer break, I feel that we are on the right trajectory overall.

"There is so much hard work going across the Team to upgrade the car and help us to make those important steps forward. I believe we are making progress and the direction we are going in is the right one.

"We will go away, recharge over the summer break and come back refreshed and re-energised," the Mercedes boss concluded.

Mercedes are currently second in the 2023 F1 Constructors' Championship, a whopping 256 points behind leaders Red Bull, and 51 points ahead of Aston Martin.