Lewis Hamilton stated his difficult qualifying outing in Las Vegas “doesn't really matter” after his surge to the podium on Saturday night.
Hamilton showed competitive form throughout the event in Las Vegas but fell short in Q3, ending the session in 10th place.
It marked another disappointing qualifying result for the seven-time world champion, who has been consistently out-paced by team-mate George Russell over one lap this season.
Russell demonstrated Mercedes' impressive speed by clinching pole position and dominating en route to victory in Las Vegas.
Hamilton also had strong pace on display during the grand prix as he rose to second place at the chequered flag after starting in the mid-pack.
Speaking to media including RacingNews365, Hamilton stated Mercedes' 1-2 result negated his qualifying disappointment.
“It doesn't really matter, really, does it? At the end of the day, George did a great job, he did everything he was supposed to do,” he said.
“I'm happy for him and I'm just grateful I could get back up there to support the team with a 1-2.”
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Hamilton's trip to the podium was his first since Belgium earlier this year, where he inherited the win after team-mate Russell was disqualified.
Having endured a tough time on the track lately, Hamilton detailed his latest strong result has a greater feeling due to his recent “adversity”.
“It's not that I didn't think I could do it,” Hamilton outlined. “I've had many races like this, but I'm generally happy to have had the recovery.
“It's a new day and I just tried to approach it with a positive mindset.
“To be able to have a car underneath me today, and be able to push and overtake people was such a great feeling.
“That was honestly one of the most enjoyable races. If I'd started pole and just led the way, wouldn't have felt as much fun, for sure.
“Of course, winning a grand prix is always a great thing, but when whoever it is faces adversity and has to battle through, it just feels so much better when you do succeed.”
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