Hamilton “will be asking questions” about Mercedes’ form - Croft
Pre-season testing in Bahrain hasn’t been plain-sailing for Mercedes, with a hydraulic issue curtailing George Russell’s running on day two.
That wasn’t the only issue for Mercedes, who identified a “loss of downforce” which they couldn’t explain.
Day three went better though, with Russell and Hamilton showing better pace on the softer tyres.
The pecking order going into Bahrain is still unclear, however, many have tipped Red Bull to have a significant advantage.
Ferrari look set to be their nearest challengers, while Mercedes should be the third-fastest team.
With Hamilton still eyeing a record-breaking eighth world title, Croft believes Mercedes’ form could be a cause for concern.
“There will be a lot of questions,” Croft said. “And if you’re Lewis Hamilton and his team, you have a great relationship with Mercedes, but you do want that eighth World Championship
“And you’re going to want reassurances that what might have been a blip last year isn’t going to turn into something more long term, and a car this year that is equally as problematic as the W13 was.”
McLaren also struggled during testing, meaning it could be another difficult season for Lando Norris.
Croft suggested that Norris might have to look elsewhere with McLaren likely to struggle again.
“I think he might be because the story I think of the test so far, and McLaren were playing down expectations before we came to Bahrain, the story is McLaren might just have slipped back even further as we start the season,” he added. “That’s a worry for Lando.”
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