What's Up With Mercedes? And Can They Sort It Out?

We're only a few rounds in, but already this season is looking nothing like the cakewalk Mercedes enjoyed the last few years.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel has won two races to Lewis Hamilton's one.

While the Mercs have taken every pole position so far this year, that advantage on the grid has been mowed away by the prancing horse come race day.

Ferrari's out-gunned them from the green lights prompting talk the Germans can't get their car to run fast enough with heavier fuel loads earlier on in races.

Strategy too has been a sore point for Mercedes with Sebastian Vettel making the most of early pit stops and his Ferrari's better use of the supersofts to put himself in front.

It's clear the softer the tyre, the harder it comes for Mercedes, which can longer rely on its sheer horsepower advantage alone for another title run.

But Lewis Hamilton says it's not all bad.

"Basically, at the beginning, the car is a big heavy lump," Hamilton revealed after Bahrain.

"The grip just doesn't feel good at all and the car is sliding around. Then the car gets lighter and it gets more and more comfortable."

"When you put the fresher tyres on at the end, the car is more nimble and like it is in qualifying. There's a point where it goes one way or another.

Mercedes aren't the only team struggling to convert qualifying strengths into race pace.

Renault also falls back from being the fourth fastest car on the Saturday to being well back in the pack on Sunday.

It could just be the Ferrari is better at looking after its Pirellis than any other team.

There may only be a few tenths separating the top two teams but it bodes for a fascinating battle between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian - and Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen - as the year wears on.

"It's small percentages now, which is what racing should be about," said Hamilton.

"It means all of us in our team need to be operating at our maximum."

The Russian Grand Prix in Sochi will race from 10.00 pm (AEST) on Sunday night.