Rocky times for Mercedes

– It may be premature to call it the end of an era of Mercedes domination but Daniel Ricciardo’s thrilling win for Red Bull in Shanghai on Sunday could mark a clear shift in the Formula One landscape.

Even if Mercedes were back on top of the constructors’ standings, the world champions were beaten for the third race in a row at the Chinese Grand Prix.

“It’s inevitable in all sports that at some point, the winning becomes harder or stops,” commented Christian Horner (above), Ricciardo’s team boss, as the celebrations continued.

“Mercedes still have a quick car. It’s incredible that after three races they haven’t won a Grand Prix yet,” added the Briton, whose team won four successive double titles between 2010 and 2013.

The sheer depth of talent and resources at Mercedes’ disposal, and with 18 races still to run this season, means it is too early to trumpet a changing of the guard.

However, for Mercedes, who for the first time since 2013 also failed to have both drivers appear on the podium together in at least two of the opening three rounds, Sunday’s race will keep the alarm bells ringing.

While Vettel had looked good for a hat-trick of wins on Sunday morning, Ricciardo cashed in on a safety car period that put Red Bull in the driving seat.

The trajectory of Hamilton’s season has been downward since Melbourne, with the 33-year-old second, third and now fourth.

He has not won for six races, his last being the US Grand Prix in Austin last October, which represents his longest such run since the end of 2015/start of 2016 when he was off the top step for eight in a row.