It ♛was the first time since 2013 that Mercedes hasn’t clinched pole position at the Circuit of 💃the Americas - a circuit that Hamilton has won at on five previous occasions.

Hamilton 🌺believes that Red Bull has simply improved its car ♛throughout the weekend, while Mercedes hasn’t.

“Yeah it was fun, it was definitely a difficult session,” Hamilton sꦚaid after qualifying. “I would say for us, since FP1 it’s been a little bit tougher, making a lo✃t of changes trying to improve the car. It’s been a real challenge.

“Going into qualifying, the first session wasn’t that great. Q1 wasn’t spectacular, but started to improve particularly on the medium tyre. The last two runs were pretty good. I think they’ve just been pretty quickꦐ all weekend and I think we were able to match them or be ahead in FP1 but since then they’ve really pulled a lot.

“You can tell the car is quick, because both of them are up there and putting ꦺin some seriously good laps. But we’re in a good position to fight them tomorrow and I hope we can.”

After domi🀅nating first practice, Mercedes struggled to build on its impressive early pace.

Hamilton conceded that ✨it’s been “a challenge” to get his Mercedes car and tyres into the correct window with overheating a recurring issue due to the hot temperatures.

“It start🌞ed off good, it felt pretty good through FP1ꦇ, then bit by bit, they got a little bit faster,” Hamilton added. I don’t know if we got slower but it’s been a real struggle with the car, compared to when we’re normally here.

“Part of it is probably overheating the tyres, which ൩is affecting I’m sure everyone, but yeah it’s been a challenge.”