'Unfair' Judgements About Hamilton's Disadvantage Dismissed By Mercedes Technical Director

"I think if you just look at the stats, 8-1, 7-1 back then, maybe it would be reasonable to think if that trend continues, there won't be many times when he'll be on pole."

“I think that if you try and read into that stuff that isn’t there, like somehow he’s got a systematic disadvantage on qualifying day, that’s not true and not fair.

"So far as we can make it, the cars are identical. But they have the chance to have identical stuff if they choose."

"I wouldn't have predicted 8-1. And I think that for a chunk of the year, the car has been a pretty troubled beast."

"It's become a much, much better car in the last two or three races and, with that, I think the judgments about who may or may not put it in front of the other car become more meaningful, because the car is less of a random number generator."

"Lewis has, not by accident, been the best qualifier in the history of the sport, because I think he's been the best driver in the sport, but he's struggling to make it stick this year by fine margins, as you say."