Lewis Hamilton has played down Mercedes' improved performance in recent races and suggested it is more track dependant than a sign of genuine increased speed and pace from the Silver Arrows.

The development race between Red Bull and Mercedes in Formula 1 this season has proven just as important as what has happened on the track and in recent weeks it has looked as though the reigning champions have overhauled their title rivals in terms of outright speed.

In both Sochi and Istanbul they appeared to have the stronger package as Hamilton won in Russia and Valtteri Bottas won in Turkey, but the Briton has suggested that those two circuits favoured their car anyway, and so we perhaps shouldn't read as much as we are into recent results.

“We haven’t done anything to the car so I don’t really know why that is the case.

“I think the two tracks that we’ve just driven on have maybe suited us a little bit more.

“The car has been feeling good. Valtteri did a great job [in Turkey.]

"If he can continue to perform like that over the next races, it will be good for the team and if the car continues to behave as it has [recently], that is good for us."

Mind games from Hamilton to unsettle Red Bull ahead of the run-in? Or genuine comments from the defending champ? Time will ultimately tell as we head to Texas for the United States Grand Prix this weekend.