F1 news LIVE: Mercedes doing ‘enormous’ work on ‘sulking’ Lewis Hamilton’s car

LIVE – Updated at 10:27

Follow all the latest news and reaction from the world of F1 as the fallout continues from another chaotic race in Melbourne, before heading to Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the weekend.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has claimed the team will not make any updates to their cars ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, however, engineers at the team’s base have insisted an “enormous” amount of work goes on behind the scenes between races. The reigning constructors champions have been uncharacteristically lacking pace at the start of the 2022 season. Due to the reliability issues Red Bull have suffered, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have still both managed to secure one podium place each. But Mercedes are yet to seriously compete for a victory this season and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has already built up a 34-point lead in the drivers’ championship.

Meanwhile, Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is hopeful the team can “start again from zero” after reliability failures cost them a host of points in the opening three races of the season. Both Perez and Max Verstappen looked in contention for a podium place in the first race in Bahrain before engine problems saw both of them fail to finish. They then enjoyed a successful weekend in Saudi Arabia as Verstappen won and Perez came fourth. But in the next race in Australia the issues from Bahrain showed themselves again as Verstappen was forced to retire his car when he looked poised to take second place.

Follow all the latest F1 news and reaction after a thrilling start to the 2022 season.

Ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard says Charles Leclerc’s drive at the Australia Grand Prix gave him “flashbacks” of Michael Schumacher.

Schumacher won