Hamilton: 'I certainly didn't expect such a big gap towards Red Bull'

Furthermore, the seven-time world champion suffered several problems during qualifying, including with his brakes and a bouncing car.

"I certainly didn't expect such a big gap, but we lose six tenths on the straight. The bouncing is also back. It hasn't been easy," Hamilton told reporters after the session. Toto Wolff has already confirmed that Mercedes was driving with more downforce, causing the team to lose a lot of time on the straights.

Mercedes sufffered more than most with porpoising at the start of the 2022 season, so it's return won't be welcomed by Hamilton, Wolff or George Russell.

Hamilton never wants to sit in W13 again

Mercedes will have to do a lot of work during the winter break to fix the problems with this year's W13 before the new season. Hamilton cites bouncing as one of the biggest problems. "There are a lot of other things. We obviously have some downforce, but we just need to build a more efficient car. I think everyone in the team knows exactly where the problems lie. We are confident we can build a car without those characteristics."

Hamilton will also be in action after Sunday's race during the Young Driver Test at Yas Marina, where teams will test the new Pirelli tyres. "I'm looking forward to Tuesday because it's the last time I have to drive this thing. I have no intention of ever driving this again."