Lewis Hamilton admits there is still some "mystery” behind the Mercedes F𒊎ormula 1 team’s sudden drop off in perfor𒅌mance in recent races in Mexico and the United States.

Hamilton wrapped up his fifth world championship title despite a distant fourth-p꧒lace finish in Mexico City, one position ahead of lapped teammate Valtteri Bottas, as Mercedes strug💝gled with excessive tyre wear compared to its rivals.

It🍎 followed similar issues at the 🐓previous race in Austin, leading to suggestions Mercedes’ decision not to run its controversial wheel rim design at both events was a factor in the team’s performance dip.

Mercedes refuted the claims and team boss Toto Wolff lᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚater said he was confident his side had made progress in understanding its recent challenges heading into this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, though Hamilton reckons there is more work to be done.

“I think some of it is still a mystery but I think there are a lot of areas that🐽 we have understood,” Hamilton said.

“We are coming to another circuit tha♚t is quite hard on tyres, Brazil is always quite tough in that area but we have not been terrible here. I think this track does worꦇk quite well with a more nimble, shorter car.

“I’m hoping this weekend we can get the caꦡr into the right place and fight the guys, and the Red Bulls and Ferraris who have seemed to come back mor♉e into shooting range.

“Red Bull’s domina🍌nce at the last race was impressive and I’m sure they will be quick this weekend as well, as will Ferrari.

“It is g🙈oing to take everything and more - we will have to throw everything at it, including the bathroom sink.”

Bottas said he had been encouraged by the promising steps made by Mercedes after visiting the team’s Brackley base in theꦗ gap between Mexico and Brazil.

“The team worked reallyꩵ hard to find the answ🍃ers for that, quickly,” Bottas explained.

“I went to the factory as well, had a ♌really interesting meeting about that, seeing how ✅we were really able to track those issues and where all of them started from.

“It’s💯 really how we’re managing the car, many mechanical things and so on. We know the mistakes we have ꦇmade and we’re hoping not to repeat them.”