Martin Brundle’s verdict on what was to blame for Lewis Hamilton’s US Grand Prix DNF

Martin Brundle believes Lewis Hamilton didn’t do anything wrong as he crashed out of the US Grand Prix on Sunday night.

The Mercedes star endured a terrible weekend as Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr and Max Verstappen all secured spots on the podium.

Hamilton was the only DNF during the big event at the Circuit of America, with the veteran spinning off into the gravel trap at the penultimate corner of the third lap.

Yet Brundle has absolved the 39-year-old of blame and insisted there was nothing he could do about the incident.

“Nothing he could do about that, just turned in normally,” he said on commentary for Sky Sports.

“[He] just turned in normally and he simply hadn’t got enough rear grip.”

Hamilton’s failure to finish the US Grand Prix comes after team-mate George Russell lost control of his vehicle in qualifying.

Reflecting on the disappointing day, Hamilton said: “I had a great start, was feeling good and got up to 12th.

It was the best start that I’ve had at turn one in a long time.

“I wasn’t even pushing at that point; I was literally just trying to get going and bringing the tyres up to temperature.

“The car started bouncing, the left front started bouncing and the rear end just came round.

“It was the same as George yesterday.”

Hamilton also admitted Mercedes would investigate the issue as they look to end the season on a high.

The Silver Arrows star added: “In P1 I had the same thing.

The spin was at Turn 3, that’s very unusual.” I do not recall spinning in Turn 3 at any one time for all the years I have been here.

“I was just saying about George obviously having the same problem yesterday, he has gone back to the old-spec car and is looking good out there, so maybe there is something with the new upgrade.”

As much as possible we will probe and by tomorrow we will get the data and see if we are going to on the old or the new spec next week.”

Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari rival won the Austrian Grand Prix but Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was unhappy after the race.

And he has been clear to say it was an issue with the cars and not with them as drivers that caused their difficult weekend.

The Austrian said: >[It was] 100 per cent the car.”

Hamilton will be looking forward to redeem himself next Sunday   Mexican Grand Prix at 8 in the evening.