Lewis Hamilton says he is “looking forward” to the last time he drives this year’s Mercedes – or “this thing”, as he put it after qualifying at the final race of the season. Hamilton was just 0.03 seconds ahead of Russell – but 0.684secs off the pace. “Definitely wasn’t expecting to see such a big gap,” Hamilton said, “but we are losing 0.6secs on the straight. “Bouncing” – or “porpoising”, as Russell described it – has been one of Mercedes’ Achilles’ heels this year. “It won’t be one of the ones I request to have in my contract. “He says that the one victory a year isn’t really a record that bothers him,” Wolff said.

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