Another issue for Mercedes? “We’re a bit lost” after 'strange' loss of downforce

As reported by AMuS, Mercedes suffered from a “strange loss of downforce on the front axle” during Friday's test in Bahrain.

In reference to the loss of downforce, Wolff said: "We're a bit lost, as we don't know where we stand right now."

Mercedes mechanics couldn't identify the reason for this during the day meaning they will have to work overnight to find out why.

It was already a bad day for Mercedes, with Russell completing just 26 laps before a hydraulic issue forced him to stop out on track with approximately 90 minutes on the clock.

While lap times don’t tell the full story, the general view is that Red Bull remain the team to beat ahead of Ferrari, while Mercedes are likely to be the third-best team.

Lewis Hamilton fared better in the morning, circulating 72 times on his way to the 15th best time of the day.

• Setback for Mercedes as Russell breaks down | Zhou ends day two fastest

With one more day of running ahead, Mercedes will have the opportunity to identify the cause of the loss of downforce and ensure any reliability gremlins are sorted ahead of next weekend’s season-opener in Bahrain.