Lewis Hamilton looking for Mercedes fightback in Shanghai after Ferrari dominated Bahrain GP

REIGNING F1 champion Lewis Hamilton is demanding Mercedes improve the car after his maiden win of the season in Bahrain.

The British driver, 34, has extended his contract with the Silver Arrows until 2020 and finished 1-2 with team-mate Valtteri Bottas at the Bahrain International Circuit a fortnight ago.

But despite the result going in their favour, it was only engine failure to runaway leader Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari that presented Hamilton with the race.

Mercedes struggled to keep up with the Ferrari’s throughout the weekend and the five-time champion is keen for the gap to narrow in China.

According to Daily Express, he said: “This in the past has been a good hunting ground for me.

“Hopefully we will get the car in the right place this weekend and have a better weekend than I had last time here.”

We have been able to pick up two one-twos, even though we didn’t have the quicker car in Bahrain

Valtteri Bottas

Hamilton has won a record five races in Shanghai but could only finished fourth a year ago when Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo took the chequered flag.

But the Brit is a popular figure in this part of the world and pulled in quite a crowd before practice – not least because of the lucky red hat he sported on the grid.

The reigning F1 champion explained: “It is quite a small amount of red compared to on those two Ferraris!

“But I have got a good backing here from team LH China so I am less reliant on the red and more on just hard work and diligence as a team.”

Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas currently tops the Drivers’ Championship – but admits that he and his team have been lucky in the opening two Grands Prix.

Bottas said: “Things have gone perfectly for us on [race day] so far. We have been able to pick up two one-twos, even though we didn’t have the quicker car in Bahrain,” the Finn said.

“It’s a start of the season we’ve aimed for and we know it’s not going to be like this for the whole year.

“It is going to be a competitive year, as we saw last year, and now maybe even more. We know there is going to be races that we can’t get the full amount of points.”