Dropping to fourth after being passed by Sergio Perez on lap 10, the seven-time world champion ran ahead of his teammate George Russell until lap 22 when he made his pitstop.

However, a perfectly timed stop during the subsequent safety car period after Sebastian Vettel had spun off into the barriers allowed Russell to pit and rejoin ahead of his teammate just one lap later.

Now trailing his Mercedes teammate, Hamilton told his team: "You guys have really put me in a difficult position".

Some have taken this to mean that Hamilton was unhappy at finding himself behind his new teammate, however, the Briton says the comment was related to his car overheating.

"Basically, I couldn't race for position because the car was overheating, so I had to back off," Hamilton told reporters.

Asked to clarify that he was not referring to losing out to his teammate, he said no, insisting that his comment related purely to the fact that his "car was overheating".

"It's an amazing result for us as a team. It's such a positive," he added. "We were over one second off on Friday and it wasn't looking spectacular at that point. We did some great work overnight to qualify on the third row and then a great start. I was up in third and it felt great to be fighting, or to feel like we're fighting for a podium in that moment.

"Obviously we couldn't hold with the pace of the Red Bulls. Whilst we haven't necessarily improved the car over these three races, I think we've really extracted the most we could points-wise. From my side, I let the team down in the last race and didn't get the points but to come away with this result, is great.

"Whilst we haven't necessarily improved the car over these three races, I think we've really extracted the most we could points wise," he added. "I think from my side, I let the team down in the last race and didn't get the points but to come away with this result is great."

Asked about Russell's first podium for the team, he said: It is incredible," he said. "He's done an amazing job... he did an amazing job today, had great pace.

"He's been so solid these first three races. And he's working, really grafting away, doing an amazing job."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 12/04/2022 23:25

"@Aroutis...Thank you for the response. It's difficult to understand where this is all leading. Taking into consideration the hundreds and hundreds of millions that Mercedes [et al ] have poured into this team and driver to secure a record that may well last forever [?] I would guess that they still harbour the intention to follow through with Hamilton. If this means shackling Russell in a manner that appears, prima facie, to exclude team orders then I have no doubt that they will act swiftly. It looks bad for all concerned if team orders are openly implemented after all this is the GOAT we are discussing! Obvious team orders would diminish the myth. If Russell doesn't keep on banking points it will reek of manipulation....that's what makes this issue so intriguing. Reputations are now on the line."

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2. Posted by aroutis, 12/04/2022 9:08

"@kenji, right on.

Long gone the days where Lewis had free reign over Bottas.
Mercedes is clearly thinking the next day, and next day includes George Russel; Lewis is not going to be there forever.
So , people need to realize that Merc will not treat George like Bottas, instead they're building the new #1 of the team , and LH is now in the bad place to understand his era is over. "

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3. Posted by kenji, 12/04/2022 0:49

"@Spindoctor... 'you guys have put me in a really difficult position'..what has 'you guys' to do with an overheating engine ? How were they responsible for 'putting' him anywhere relative to the engine? If, as has been stated by Wolff, that the message has been misinterpreted due to previous discussions why don't they simply publish those to confirm? My reading of it is that Hamilton wanted team orders to let him past Russell but the separation was too large and too obvious to risk it ,hence his comments. As I say just publish the previous 'P to C to P' comments and it's all done and dusted...easy."

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4. Posted by Spindoctor, 11/04/2022 12:27

"@kenji
At the risk of stating the obvious, Hamilton's "track position" would almost certainly have been affected by his car's overheating issues - as was Verstappen's by those on his car....
"

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5. Posted by kenji, 11/04/2022 0:21

"Why is the team responsible for the GOAT's engine overheating problems and his on track position? I smell an attempt to manage some 'blow back' here."

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6. Posted by Defiant, 10/04/2022 16:38

"Although I have no doubt Lewis isn't comfortable being behind his teammate, he's no different to any other athlete in history.
This is just another example of MSM desperate to stir up something out of nothing. Just like DTS, creating the Noris and Riciardo situation."

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Hamilton clarifies "difficult position" comment

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