Lewis Hamilton admitted that his unexpected podium at the Bahrain Grand Prix was “fortunate”, but insisted that Mercedes deserved it.
The seven-times world champion had looked on course to finish fifth as Mercedes struggled to keep pace with the Ferraris and Red Bulls, but a double retirement by the latter handed him the final spot on the podium.
Fuel pump problems mean Max Verstappen, who was in second, and his team-mate, Sergio Pérez, retired late. Hamilton was pleased with the points boost and said Mercedes had deserved the reward for showing better reliability.
“Every point can make a difference,” Hamilton said. “I have lost world titles by one point, but, while we are not necessarily on a par with the fastest guys, it is a great result. Of course it was fortunate, but ultimately we have done a better job because we had better reliability. So I don’t say it is luck, but hard work.
“It is such a long season and it is going to be a hard battle, but we love a challenge, I love a challenge, and it is a privilege to work with a team that is hungry and focused. There is no better feeling when you come together like this.”
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Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, described the failure of his cars to finish as “brutal”. “I can’t remember the last time that happened to us, but it’s obviously your worst nightmare, so hugely disappointing,” he said.
With such a long season ahead and the development of these new cars set to play a key role throughout the year, Verstappen was sanguine about the outcome.
“It is not what you want after a positive weekend. Second would have been very good, but to retire at the end of the race is very disappointing,” he said.
