However, the team was convinced of the potential of the surface and, after a consecutive evaluation in practice at the Dutch GP, committed to running it for the rest of the Zandvoort weekend.

However, a disappointing performance throughout the event – with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton falling well behind race winner Lando Norris – has once again raised questions about whether there may be problems with the latest design.

Because while the team’s on-track data and analysis show that the new underbody does indeed generate more downforce than the previous specification, Technical Director James Allison has suggested that this may have led to some negative balance – costing more lap time than it gains.

In Mercedes’ regular post-race debriefing video, Allison said the team had worked hard to understand the role the new floor played in changing the car’s characteristics.

When asked how the soil was behaving, Allison said, “The simple answer is, we don’t know for sure.

“You can do some simple measurements and say that the downforce it was supposed to deliver was apparently there. So on one level you could assume it was working as expected.

“But the speed of the cars this year is largely down to how well they handle. So it’s not just about whether your aerodynamic package gives you downforce, but whether it gives you the balanced car you need in the corners. Does it give you the balanced car you need from high to low speed?

“We definitely know that we didn’t have a well-balanced car this weekend. That’s why we lost most of our speed. Whether that was due to the new floor, the new aero package or not, we have to keep an open mind and that’s something we’ll have to revisit in future races.”

“At the moment we know it measured downforce, but we are not sure if it delivers a good balance. We will have to look at that more closely over the course of the year.”

The disappointing performances of Russell and Hamilton in the qualifying rounds were due to the poor balance at Zandvoort, which resulted in tyre overheating.

“For some reason, we managed to build a car that was too vulnerable,” Allison added.

“The rear was leaning too much towards breaking away, so when the drivers tried to accelerate it, the rear lost grip and contact with the road. And in qualifying they have to lean on the car and we could do a really good lap if they could just somehow keep this very sharp car on the rails.

“Just a tiny slip of the rear wheel caused by a gust or whatever and the rear tires will burn. The temperature of the rubber surface increases dramatically with a tiny slip.

“Once the surface temperature is high, it doesn’t recover for several corners. At Zandvoort, the corners come at you thick and fast and there are no really long straights for them to cool down on. And so a lap is over with a crack.”