Mercedes have written an open letter to reassure fans that they are not deliberately sabotaging Lewis Hamilton’s car.

Hamilton’s defence to his title has been fraught with a number of mechanical problems – most recently in Russia where he suffered engine troubles in both qualifying and the race.

In contrast, his team-mate Nico Rosberg has cantered to four relatively trouble-free victories to establish a 43-point lead in the world championship.

Sceptics, largely on social media, have claimed that Mercedes, a German manufacturer, are clearing the path for Germany’s Rosberg to win the title.

Some have also pointed to their decision to swap the mechanics around on their cars ahead of the new season.

After Sunday’s race in Sochi, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the theories were made up by a “bunch of lunatics lying in their beds with their laptops on their chests.”

And in a 1,100-word open letter published yesterday, Mercedes, winners of 36 of the last 42 races, felt compelled once more to quash any claims of favouritism within their team.

They wrote: “We have seen a lot of frustration aired online after the mechanical issues experienced in Sochi. We share those same emotions – but for us, it goes far beyond frustration.

“For those watching at home, a Grand Prix weekend starts on a Thursday morning and ends on Sunday night. A bad result might hurt for a few hours afterwards but then life moves on.

“For more than 1,000 people at Brackley and Brixworth, however, this is our life. These men and women pour their blood, sweat and tears into racing, day in, day out – often working around the clock and spending weeks at a time away from loved ones.

“They do so through passion for their work and loyalty to their team-mates.”

The letter continued: “They don’t just perform pit-stops together. They travel, share rooms, eat meals, construct garages, build cars, rebuild broken cars, kit spares and pack down tonnes of freight – together.

“We have the best guys and girls in the world, doing an awesome job, week in and week out – and they do it for the team. Not for one driver or the other – but for each other. There is no ‘A’ or ‘B’ team here.”

Mercedes chartered a private jet packed with replacement engine parts from their Brixworth base to ensure that Hamilton was not further penalised with a pit-lane start following his troubles in qualifying.

The jet arrived in Sochi at 2am where Hamilton’s mechanics worked through the night to enable him to start from 10th position.

Mercedes continued: “Through all of this, we stand united as a team – just as we always have. To those who stand with us, we thank you.

“And to the rest – the haters, the naysayers, the conspirators... if we can convince even half of you of what we really stand for, we’ll consider that a battle well won.”

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