Hamilton 'EXHAUSTED' after battle with Mercedes team-mate

Lewis Hamilton has revealed he was left feeling 'exhausted' after a long, hot Japanese Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion spent much of the race battling with his team-mate George Russell, as well as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz near the end of the race.

He eventually came home to take a well-deserved fifth place, and keep up what has been a very consistent season, strengthening his grip on third place in the drivers' championship.

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Yet it did not come easy, with the 38-year-old admitting that the race really took it out of him.

"I’m exhausted after that one," he told Mercedes' official website.

"Ferrari brought an upgrade this weekend and they were just that little bit quicker than us here this weekend.

"It was a hell of a fight. I was really trying to hold on. We did manage to get ahead of Sainz which was great teamwork and good work from the guys in the pit stop and the strategy group."

Hamilton relishing important Ferrari battle

Having spent a lot of the season focusing on Aston Martin, it now seems as though Mercedes are in a straight fight with Ferrari for second place in the constructors' championship.

Fred Vasseur's team have outscored Mercedes at the last four races, and Hamilton's battle with Russell today led to the man from King's Lynn stating over the team radio: "Are we fighting each other or the others?"

The Silver Arrows now find their lead over Ferrari at just 20 points, and Hamilton insists it was crucial they were still able to score good points at Suzuka.

"That was the maximum we could have achieved today," he added.

"We know how important the battle for second in the Constructors’ Championship is. I know how hard everyone at Brackley and Brixworth is working to achieve that.

"Minimising our points loss to Ferrari today was critical. There is still a long way to go until the end of the season."

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