Hamilton: "It was all lost in qualifying"

Lewis Hamilton says he lost the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in qualifying. The Briton finished behind his teammate in a close finish during the race but pinned his weekend on losing out the day before.

Having pressured his teammate in the closing stages of the race, the reigning world champion couldn't quite get close enough to make a move for the lead, following his teammate home in second for a fourth Mercedes one-two of the season.

Speaking after stepping out of the car, Hamilton congratulated his teammate and admitted that his weekend was lost after coming second in qualifying.

"Congratulations to Valtteri, he drove a fantastic race and made no mistakes so deserves the win," he said after the race.

"It was all lost in qualifying so there's not more I can say. It's a great result for the team. This is the best start to a season we've ever had.

"It's a team effort. Everyone back at the factory has been working non-stop, every year they come back more hungry for success and it's true testament to the strength in depth."

By virtue of his fastest lap in Melbourne, Valtteri Bottas reassumed the championship lead from Hamilton by a single point after his win in Azerbaijan.