Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari's season can still rank as a "huge achievement" if they finish in the top three of the Drivers' Championship, asking critics to "look at the positives" of the team's year despite recent setbacks.

Hamilton and Ferrari's hopes of winning this year's world title have faded in recent races, with the Briton not finishing on the podium since the British Grand Prix at the start of July. A first race retirement of the season last time out in Madrid saw third-placed Hamilton fall over 100 points back on championship-leading Kimi Antonelli for the first time this season, with the seven-time champion all-but conceding the title.

Antonelli's overall lead at the top of the standings is 81 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Asked about his own championship prospects heading into weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the season's 15th of a scheduled 23 rounds, Hamilton said: "Well, I mean, he's 101 points ahead of me."

"There is still a long way to go and I think the focus for me is, if we can hold on to second - if not somehow catch Mercedes - for the constructors', I think that would be remarkable." Hamilton is 20 points behind Russell, his former Mercedes team-mate, in the standings.