After finally taming the severe porpoising and bouncing problems (though the drivers reported that there was still some bouncing present at the final race), Merc progressively unlocked potential from their unique design concept. While this progress culminated in a 1-2 in Brazil, the lingering problems that the cars experienced during the final race weekend raise a crucial question regarding this design concept: Is there enough as yet unlocked potential in it to produce a consistent, title winning car? For example, a major, remaining season-long problem with the car is that it generates excessive aerodynamic drag which retards its straightline speed—and good straightline speed is crucial for overtaking and producing competitive lap times. Is this something that can be rectified or is it an incurable inherent aspect of this design concept? Merc have stated that they now understand the problems with the car. However, does this mean, “Yes, and we can fix them,” or “We understand that the problems are inherent and can’t be fixed and that we need to go in a different direction.” With such a short off-season, one would guess that the team has already made its decision regarding this important matter.