Lewis Hamilton says his unexpected podium finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix was down to Mercedes’ hard work, after the Red Bull drivers ahead of him retired with technical problems.
He was running fifth in the closing stages of yesterday’s race when Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were struck down by power unit faults. Hamilton said the points gained could prove vital to the outcome of the world championship.
“Every point can make a difference,” he said. “I’ve lost world titles by just one point.”
He said Mercedes’ superior reliability is the product of the team’s efforts during the off-season and allowed them to limit the damage at a time when they are not on the pace of the front-runners.
“We’re currently not necessarily, performance-wise, fighting with these guys,” said Hamilton. “But it’s a really, really great result.
“Of course we were fortunate but ultimately we’ve done a better job, we have better reliability. So I wouldn’t say that’s luck, I…