Lack of pace put Hamilton in 'no man's land' in China

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Lewis Hamilton says his agonizing lack of pace put him in "no man's land" in Sunday afternoon's Chinese Grand Prix in which the Mercedes driver came in fourth.

The reigning world champion was left chasing at the outset of the 56-lap event., although a relatively solid first stint put Hamilton in contention for a podium finish while team mate Valtteri Bottas took command at the front.

However, a Safety Car period suddenly shifted the weight in favour of Red Bull, the only front-running team to take on fresh and softer rubber during the five-lap neutralization.

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Hamilton was defenseless against both Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, and only salvaged a fourth-place finish thanks to a 10-second penalty that was handed to the Dutchman following his on-track clash with Sebastian Vettel.

"I was in no man's land today, I had no pace. I was just trying to hold for whatever I had," he admitted.

"I had the older tyre on and was running out of it."

While Hamilton gained a bit of ground on Vettel in the championship standings, the Briton feels he's now very much on the back foot and uncertain what to expect next.

"Not quite sure to be honest, we've got obviously a tough battle ahead of us, on my side but also us as a team," he conceded.

"We've been under-performing, yesterday and today have been a disaster on my side, so I've got to try and rectify that and get myself back into normal performance mode otherwise more valuable points will be lost.

"But I'm thankful for a couple of incidents that happened ahead today and kept us kind of in the battle."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.