HOPELESS, BUT I WON'T QUIT

Hamilton says championship is out of reach but he still believes in Mercedes

- DANIEL MOXON

LEWIS HAMILTON has dismissed speculation he could quit Mercedes despite appearing to throw in the towel in the title battle after just one race.

Hamilton insisted he retains "100 percent belief" in the team, even though he acknowledged they are miles off the pace set by Red Bull at the beginning of the season.

Max Verstappen barely broke a sweat as he and his Red Bull team dominated in Bahrain.

And speaking ahead of this weekend's race in Saudi Arabia, Hamilton conceded it is not just Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez they have to overhaul.

He said: "At the moment, we need the Red Bulls, Ferraris, and maybe now the Aston Martins, not to finish the race for us to be winning.