• Malaysian Grand Prix

Rosberg should have been third - Hamilton

Nico Rosberg twice passed Lewis Hamilton and then conceded the position in the DRS zone © Sutton Images

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• Report:
• Vettel leads Red Bull one-two after bitter battle
  

• Race:
• Malaysian Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Lewis Hamilton
• |
• Nico Rosberg

• Teams:
• Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton said his team-mate Nico Rosberg should have been third in the Malaysian Grand Prix after finishing ahead of his team-mate.

Rosberg was heard complaining over the radio that he could go much quicker than Hamilton and should be allowed through in the closing stages of the race but his request was denied by team principal Ross Brawn. Hamilton admitted that his pace was slowed by a need to save fuel and that Rosberg was the quicker of the two on outright race pace.

"The team did a fantastic job and it's great to be [on the podium] for them," Hamilton said. "If I'm honest I really feel that Nico should be standing here, he generally had better pace than me throughout the race but he's a great team-mate and he did a fantastic job today. On our side I was fuel saving for a long, long time so unable to keep the pace of the guys at the front but nonetheless we brought it home, the guys did a great job and I'm proud to be up here for them."

Asked about the messages between Brawn and Rosberg to hold position, Hamilton admitted: "I can't say it's the best feeling being up here but racing is racing and I've really just got to keep looking forward."

During the first round of pit stops Hamilton pulled in to the McLaren garage by mistake and recalled how Jenson Button had done the same when stopping in the Red Bull pit box in China in 2011.

"I just did a Jenson! He did that a couple of years ago. For so many years I've been used to driving in to the McLaren pit stop and I don't know how I got it wrong but a big apology to my team."

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