Mercedes have penned an open letter to supporters of the team, insisting that they are not trying to sabotage Lewis Hamilton's season.

Hamilton, who won his third Formula 1 world title last season, has struggled with several mechanical issues in the four races this year to drop 43 points behind teammate Nico Rosberg.

Rosberg, who hails from Germany like Mercedes, has won all four grands prix and some supporters have questioned whether the team are playing fair.

After Sunday's race in Russia, team boss Toto Wolff said that the theories were made up by a "bunch of lunatics lying in their beds with their laptops on their chests".

Today the team wrote an open letter of over 1,000 words declaring that the team is working just as hard for Hamilton as Rosberg.

"We have seen a lot of frustration aired online after the mechanical issues experienced in Sochi," the letter read. "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, loyalty to their team-mates and a desire to be the best."

Mercedes have dominated the sport in recent years, winning 36 of the last 42 races.