Bahrain GP: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg suffered brake problems

Just moments after Rosberg ran off the track at Turn 1 in his battle with Kimi Raikkonen for second spot, Hamilton came on the radio to report a brake-by-wire fault that had emerged.

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said: "We had brake-by-wire failures on both cars at the same corner.

"Leading into the last lap in the hard braking the temperatures went sky high, and when that happens the brake-by-wire switches into the conventional system and you are without weapons to defend.

"On Nico's car the failure didn't come as a surprise - on Lewis's car it did come as a surprise.

"It must have been linked to the fact that he gave it a gentle push seeing Kimi coming and making his way through backmarkers.

"Lewis's failure came on the long straight into the last lap, so he had the full last lap without any brake-by-wire."

Although Hamilton held on for the win, with Rosberg claiming third, both drivers admitted things had been tricky in the closing stages.

"I tried to catch Lewis, but that was impossible," Rosberg said. "I struggled with the brakes.

"I lost the brakes two laps from the end and went straight on.

"I had to carry the car home for the last two laps."

Hamilton lost time to the pursuing Raikkonen on the final lap, but he insisted there was no danger of the win being lost.

"I think my brakes got a bit warm behind a few backmarkers," he explained.

"When you are behind you don't get cool air, so they got a bit warm. But it wasn't really a problem."