He might be starting today’s Grand Prix ninth, but Lewis Hamilton is confident Mercedes have given him a car he can fight with. Team-mate George Russell starts third in Bahrain.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton has gone without a race win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but he’s satisfied with his machinery in the form of his W15.

The Brit, 39, said: “I think George’s position is a real testament [to] just how amazing the job is [that] everyone’s done at the factory, and [they have] finally given us a car that we can fight with.

“I just wasn’t able to utilise that today when I made that set-up change. I put something on the car that we haven’t put on for the last two years.

“And I was hoping that it would be okay. And I just stuck with it. I was like, I’m just going to stick with it. And yeah, it wasn’t nice to drive.

“In terms of the season, for sure, to know that we have a package that we can potentially fight with is really pleasing.

“It’s really a real big improvement from previous years. A lot more stable, a lot more fun to drive. For George to be three-tenths off Red Bull – or off Max – is incredible. It shows what’s possible.

“And I think we’ve just got to really just continue to add performance. And I mean, if that’s our platform from here, we can definitely chase through the rest of the season.”