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Lewis Hamilton[/caption]SEPANG, Malaysia — A furious Lewis Hamilton demanded answers from his Mercedes team after an engine failure cost him victory in Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix and severely dented his chances of winning this year's Formula One drivers' championship.
Hamilton was leading on lap 41 of 56 at the Sepang International Circuit when his engine blew, handing the race lead and ultimately victory to Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo.
It was Ricciardo's first victory since the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix, leading a one-two finish with his teenage teammate Max Verstappen.
More painfully, it gave Hamilton's Mercedes teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg — who finished an impressive third — a 23-point lead in the championship. Rosberg had to fight back from 21st place after lap one when he was the innocent party in a collision with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.
With five races left in the season, it will be difficult for Hamilton to make up the deficit to the ultra-consistent Rosberg in the championship tussle. The frustrated Hamilton was upset in the circumstances, and he hinted at perhaps more than that.
"My question is to Mercedes," Hamilton said. "We have so many engines made for drivers, but mine are the only ones failing this year. Someone needs to give me some answers because this is not acceptable. We are fighting for the championship and only my engines are failing. It does not sit right with me.
"Someone doesn't want me to win this year, but I won't give up. I will keep pushing."
Mercedes executive director Paddy Lowe defended the team, saying there was "no pattern" as to why Hamilton's engines kept failing and Rosberg's did not.
"It is difficult. No failure is planned," said Lowe on Sky Sports television.
"We work as hard as we can to increase reliability. We have eight Mercedes power units in the field and there is no pattern for why it should fall on Lewis Hamilton's car."
Later Hamilton posted a conciliatory statement on his Facebook page in which he appeared to backtrack on his earlier outburst.
"Today, the pain is indescribable," wrote the three-time world champion.
"I have 100% faith in my team, they have worked so hard both at the track, and factory, and I want to say a HUGE thank you to them.
"I know we've had all these problems but it's not how we fall, it's how we get up... I will, we will, NEVER give up!"
