In a split second the triple world champion went from pole position to chaser, a slow getaway leaving him sixth as Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg disappeared into the distance.
The fault appeared to be his, as he hinted over the team radio, even if he said afterwards that he had done everything as normal and the clutch was to blame.
“I am told it wasn’t a driver error but it wasn’t anyone’s error,” said the Briton, whose advantage over Rosberg was cut to two points. “It was just we continue to have an inconsistency with our clutch. It has hit me quite a lot this year.”
“The procedure was done exactly how I was supposed to do it but unfortunately the wheels were spinning from the get-go.”
Hamilton passed Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Williams’ Valtteri Bottas, leaving just the two Ferraris between him and Rosberg.
Ferrari’s two-stop strategy, compared to the single stop of the Mercedes pair, resolved that but the gap to the German was too great for Hamilton to close and keep life in the tyres.
