Jenson Button has said that Mercedes are going to find it difficult to reel in Ferrari and Red Bull this season, with the reigning Constructors' champions currently off of the leading pace.

The W13 has simply been nowhere near the level of the F1-75 or the RB18 this year, with Mercedes struggling considerably with porpoising at high speed on the straights.

Indeed, that has meant they have had to compromise their ride-height settings with their car and, ultimately, the lap time they should be able to get has not been achieved.

Mercedes do feel as though once the porpoising has stopped they have a decent car, but they are yet to find a solution to the issue and Lewis Hamilton has admitted the title charge for this season is already over for him.

When will Mercedes get back to the very front, then? Jenson Button believes it might be hard for them to catch the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull, with him describing the Scuderia's car as beautiful looking through corners in particular.

"Ferrari have nothing to lose, they put everything into 2022," the 2009 world champion told The Gentleman's Journal.

"And when you watch the car, on the straights, it looks horrific because of the porpoising, but actually through the corner it looks beautiful to drive… Ferrari has just been plain sailing, good on ‘em, they’ve done a great job. And I don’t think I see it changing anytime soon… Ferrari still has more time in the wind tunnel than Mercedes, as does Red Bull. So it’s going to be tricky for Mercedes to come back.

Jenson Button

“Two great drivers are better than one in terms of setting up a car and also the feedback that the team needs to improve the car. So everything’s good at the moment. Atmosphere always changes when you’re fighting for wins. That’s normally when you go from being best buddies to fierce competitors.”

Read Jenson Button's full interview on thegentlemansjournal.com