F1: Hamilton troubled by brake problems

Lewis Hamilton says that braking problems in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix cost him in his battle for pole position with Mercedes Formula 1 teammate Nico Rosberg.

Rosberg stormed to pole at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday, leaving Hamilton trailing by 0.376 seconds in the deciding Q3 session. Hamilton, who struggled with locking brakes throughout free practice three and qualifying, and even suffered a spin in the morning running, said that he had been held back by brake temperature problems.

"Nico did a great job today," said Hamilton. "I really struggled with braking. The left brake was always around 100 degrees less than the right front. It kept catching. No matter what I did, it would still lock. That is perhaps where I was losing a lot of the time."

Hamilton admitted that his brakes could be problematic in the race on Sunday, while Rosberg said he hopes Mercedes can stay on top of the small problems that have affected both drivers this weekend.

"If I cannot fix that left-front brake it will be a continuing issue in the race," said Hamilton. "Flat spots can lead to blistering, so I have to make sure I can try to fix that during this evening."

Rosberg added: "We have had a few issues in general this weekend on both cars, so we need to try to get it all right tomorrow. Personally I am not worried about it at all. I am confident the team will get the job done and I just focus on what I can influence."