Mercedes driver Hamilton endured a frustrating weekend in Jeddah, qualifying eighth and then finishing ninth after a gamble to stay out and gain track position under the safety car failed to pay off.
The track layout highlighted the car's below-par performance in fast corners, as Hamilton and his team-mate George Russell were both outpaced by at least one car from Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin, effectively benchmarking Mercedes as fifth fastest.
