Mercedes working with Daimler to fix F1 start problems

Following a change to the regulations for this season, drivers can no longer use the double-paddle clutch system, with the second lever helping the driver make a good launch off the line.

Although not potentially linked, Lewis Hamilton has made poor starts in both races in Australia and Bahrain to date, while team-mate Nico Rosberg was also slow away in Melbourne.

Daimler is now looking into the issue for Mercedes, with the latter's motorsport boss Toto Wolff stating: "We tend to believe it's more of a hardware issue than just a control electronics problem and you can't solve that from one race to the other.

"We are working on trying to sort it out. The way we assess clutches and the way we run and calibrate them, and obviously how the drivers use them, needs to be optimised.

"Mainly the collaboration with Daimler is around optimising the hardware and that needs a little bit of time.

"I am not sure yet when we will have results."

Wolff concedes the new clutch rules have thrown a degree of unpredictability into the mix for the race start, with Rosberg and Hamilton not doing anything differently from one another.

"Remember we have these new clutches and new start procedures in order to make it more variable, and this is what we have had in Melbourne and Bahrain," he added.

"And what's happening between Lews and Nico is random.

"When you look at Nico's start on the formation lap, he made a mistake.

"He chose second gear and went into anti-stall, so all it is down to is a change in the regulation."

Hamilon has so far insisted to being "not worried" by his starts, claiming his poor getaway in Australia was "clutch-related", with the one in Bahrain "something else", suggesting it was to do with his reaction to the red lights going out.