Mercedes could have a new floor as soon as the next F1 race at Imola with word that the team are hard at work coming up with a new one. Both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas struggled at the Bahrain Grand Prix with the W12 suffering due to an unstable rear end, especially when braking around corners. Although Hamilton won the race ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, the team are convinced they need to act quickly. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports the team are already in the process of coming up with a new design, with the question now being whether it will be ready in time for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. It's believed Mercedes already looked into the idea following testing in Bahrain. The outfit are hopeful that a new floor can offset any downforce lost by the new regulations. While it seems the the problems stem from their low rake design, it's believed Mercedes won't make any changes in that area as they are confident a new floor will result in a more stable rear of the car. That is welcome news for Bottas in particular as the Finn hasn't looked comfortable in the W12, whether it be during testing or the Bahrain Grand Prix. While the same can be said about Hamilton to a certain extent, the seven-time world champion looks to have had an easier time working around the problem after winning the first Grand Prix.
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