Hamilton reveals problem led to prickly radio message

Lewis Hamilton has revealed his pointed radio message with race engineer Pete Bonnington was the result of an overheating issue at the Australian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver experienced an up-and-down third round of the F1 season after making his way from fifth to third at the start of the race, only to drop behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez.

Hamilton managed to jump Perez at a pit stop although the Mexican's warmer tyres allowed him to easily pass again, though he ran wide in doing so.

Just as the seven-time champion fought back, though, the safety car was deployed, handing team-mate George Russell a free pit stop and Perez keeping his position.

As Hamilton closed in on Russell later in the race, he came onto the team radio and said "you guys put me in a really difficult position."

Addressing the message, Hamilton said: "Well I couldn't fight with them because the engine was overheating, I had to back off.

"So I just had to sit behind but we bagged as many points as we can as a team and that is great."

Hamilton hails "great" result for Mercedes

With Russell finishing third and Hamilton fourth, Mercedes finished ahead of what team principal Toto Wolff described as a "best case" scenario of fifth and sixth, whilst also leaving the race with more points this weekend than any other team.

"It is a great result for us as a team," added Hamilton.

"Honestly, this weekend we have had so many difficult moments with the car so to get ourselves fifth and sixth in qualifying, to have progressed as we have and to have the reliability, we definitely didn't expect to have a third and fourth.

"George did a brilliant job today. I saw a bit of the battle of him racing Perez, I wish I could have been in it but nonetheless, we will take these points and keep pushing."

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