Lewis Hamilton “outperformed” Mercedes simulations with “immense” Las Vegas GP drive

Mercedes have revealed Lewis Hamilton “outperformed” all of their pre-race simulations to finish second at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Hamilton put in a storming drive from 10th on the grid to finish second, just behind Mercedes teammate George Russell.

The seven-time world champion arguably had the best race pace on the grid in Sunday’s race, leaving him to rue another poor qualifying display.

Hamilton looked a strong contender for pole position, but two mistakes in Q3 left him down in 10th on the grid.

He sliced through the field before reducing Russell’s lead to around seven seconds by the end of the race.

Mercedes trackside engineering chief Andrew Shovlin believes Hamilton getting stuck behind the Ferraris cost him a chance of challenging Russell for the win in Las Vegas.

“We didn't come to Las Vegas thinking that this track would suit us, so it's been great to see the car working so well,” Shovlin said. “We've been quick from lap one of practice on Thursday. We knew from those sessions that the single lap would be strong, but it was very encouraging to see the race pace today. 

“George did an amazing job managing from the front, covering off safety car risks and making sure he kept his tyres in better shape than the cars behind. It was another well-deserved win and the third of his F1 career. Lewis meanwhile outperformed all our simulations today to achieve P2.

“His final stint was immense; he'll be frustrated that he lost too much time in traffic to allow him to fight for the win but the 1-2 is of course a great result for the team. We now have two races to go in the season.

“We will be giving it everything we can to achieve similar success in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.”

Las Vegas was Mercedes’ first 1-2 finish of the campaign.

It was their fourth victory of the year - just one less than McLaren (5) and Ferrari (5).