Lewis Hamilton said his Las Vegas Grand Prix would have been “a breeze” had he qualified better on Friday night, as had been intended.

Hamilton lined up 10th after a lock-up on his first flying lap in Q3 was followed by a track limits infringement in his second, but made his way through the field to take second behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell come the chequered flag.

Lewis Hamilton issues ‘best the car’s ever felt’ verdict during Las Vegas recovery

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock

Hamilton overtook both McLaren and Ferrari drivers as well as Max Verstappen on his way through the pack, with the Red Bull driver crowned World Champion for the fourth time once the race concluded.

Despite halving the gap to the lead in the closing stages, the Mercedes driver was unable to close down his team-mate in time to challenge for victory in Las Vegas.

Hamilton admitted that, had he qualified with the pace he had shown in practice and in the early stages of qualifying, the race may have turned out to be a different story.

Nevertheless, he enjoyed the experience of moving through the field – which took him back to his early days in karting.

“Well, firstly, I’ve got to say a big congratulations to Max, winning the championship still with several races to go,” Hamilton said after the chequered flag.

“If I’d done my job yesterday, it would have been a breeze today, but it’s okay. I had fun coming from the back, coming from 10th, and the team did a fantastic job.

“We don’t know why we were so quick this weekend, but that’s the best the car’s ever felt, so I’m grateful to have been a part of getting it to that point.”

When faced with the same question about his qualifying performance in the post-race press conference, Hamilton expanded to media including PlanetF1.com when asked if he could have won if he qualified higher: “That doesn’t really matter, really, does it?

“At the end of the day, George did a great job, did everything you’re supposed to do, and I’m happy for him, and I’m just grateful I could get back up there to support the team with a one-two.

“I had a great time, when you’re progressing, moving forward, it’s always a great feeling, but it felt very much like my old days at Rye House [karting], like starting at the back and coming through, so it was great.”