Hamilton frustrated with Mercedes engine weakness

Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes must make improvements with its engine in 2020, after being left behind in the power stakes by Ferrari this season.

The Silver Arrows' deficit in a straight line has not stopped them from romping to a sixth-straight title double in 2019, breaking the record set by Ferrari and Michael Schumacher at the turn of the century.

However, Ferrari appear to have unlocked their car's potential since the summer break, having taken pole position in five straight races, with on-track errors and poor luck preventing them from converting qualifying success into race wins in Russia and Japan, putting Hamilton on edge.

"We've got time for next year," he said. "I think it's not been a great year for us in terms of the great issue, in terms of our engine development.

"I think it's been a really hard time for the guys, they've been working as hard as ever but it's just not been as successful in that department, as I say, plus it's quite draggy but we've had great reliability and hopefully that remains the same and that's still something to be really proud of course.

"We have, obviously, still won the Constructors' Championship but we'll push to try and maybe reduce the drag a little bit but also increasing power for next year so they're fully onto it and I have all the confidence in the world that we'll be able to make some sort of step into the next season."

Hamilton's concerns about Mercedes' engine power were borne out in the latter stages of the Japanese Grand Prix, when he failed to make it by Sebastian Vettel for second place, despite having fresher tyres fitted and DRS activated.

He said: "Of course I got in the tow of Seb, the tow with DRS and maximum power and everything… it's incredible how quick they are.

"It makes it very, very difficult, even if you've got the advantage of the tyre but I think it's cool anyway, it provides interesting racing. I wish we could have had a closer race but it's a difficult track to do so."

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