Lewis Hamilton admits Mercedes didn’t perform as its usual level during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend after his registering his lowest finish since Italy last year.
Hamilton started seventh on the grid but was elevated to sixth after pole-sitter Charles Leclerc failed to start the race following a mechanical issue.
Mercedes attempted to aid Hamilton’s progress by pitting him earlier than the cars around him, but the strategy call proved unsuccessful as he failed to jump Pierre Gasly and was leapfrogged by Sebastian Vettel.
Sergio Perez ran a long first stint and also rejoined ahead of Hamilton, leaving the Briton to voice his frustration at losing track position.
“How am I still behind him [Gasly]? Come on,” Hamilton said via team radio. “I don’t understand guys, I saved the tyres to go longer, you made me stop before everyone.”
Speaking in the TV pen after the race, Hamilton, who finished in seventh place with a bonus points for fastest lap, said: “We’ll do all our talking in the background and we’ll work together and try and come out of this stronger.
“We underperformed as a team all weekend from the get-go so we’ll just put our focus onto the next race.”
With championship rival Max Verstappen claiming victory in Monaco, Hamilton finds himself demoted to second in the drivers’ standings for the first time since the Styrian Grand Prix last year, sitting four points behind the Red Bull driver.
Asked how Mercedes will fair at the next race in Baku on another street circuit, Hamilton is doubtful the German marque will regain its competitiveness.
“It’s another Red Bull track so it’ll be hard to beat them there,” he said. “But we’ll try our best. I can’t see it being hugely dissimilar except for the long straights where usually Ferrari are a little bit down.”
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