Lewis Hamilton believes the championship standings flatter his Mercedes team following their third consecutive one-two finish.
Hamilton secured his second victory of the season on Sunday in Shanghai — with Valtteri Bottas finishing runner-up — to leave Mercedes with nearly double the amount of points as closest rivals Ferrari.
But after what was Formula One’s 1000th grand prix, five-time world champion Hamilton said: “We’re over delivering a little bit to our true potential.”
Sebastian Vettel was edged out by team-mate Charles Leclerc on the start line but was handed back the position under team orders, with Ferrari believing he had the quicker pace to catch the Mercedes than his less experienced teammate.
Vettel ended up finishing third, with Leclerc two places further back.
Hamilton, who leads the drivers’ title race by six points from Bottas after three races, said: “We’ve still got Ferrari knocking at our heels and the Red Bulls are there or thereabouts. We still need maximum attack. And there’s still more to come.”
