F1 radio ban damaged Baku grand prix spectacle

Both Hamilton and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg had a configuration setting problem with the engine modes but the rules restrict the team from aiding the driver to solve the problem.

"The radio ban, as far I'm aware, was supposed to stop driver aids," said Hamilton.

"That wasn't a driver aid, that was a technical issue.

"The FIA know that Formula 1 is so technical, far too technical almost.

"To have that many switch positions, that's something you should be able to rectify because the only people who can see the issue are the guys in the garage.

"Today, it would've added to the spectacle if I would have had full power because I would've been more in the race, fighting with the guys up ahead."

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said F1 needs to considering adjusting the regulations in light of the events in Baku.

"We want to see drivers racing each other," he said. "We need to look at the rules.

"It's not that I'm complaining, it's the same for everybody, I think the Ferrari had the same issue.

"You can do two things: you can either make the technology much less complicated, I don't think this is the right direction, or we maybe adjust the regulation so you are able to communicate more with the driver in case of a problem."

McLaren's Fernando Alonso agreed the rules should be tweaked.

"I thought from the beginning this rule didn't make much sense," he said.

"It's like a spaceship we're driving with all this technology, but we have no information available, so sometimes it's difficult to know what's happening in the car and what the solution will be.

"In the future, perhaps we can address this."

Kimi Raikkonen had an electronics issue mid-way through the race but Ferrari was unable to aid him.

"We had a crazy situation because we were at certain points listening to what the driver was asking us without being able to answer," said Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene.

Speaking about the problems Rosberg and Hamilton encountered, Wolff said: "Nico was in the more fortunate situation that he did a switch change just before which kind of led him on the right path so within half a lap he went back into the right mode.

"Lewis, because he didn't have that right path, it took him a while to figure it out - 12 laps - and this is what affected his race."

Wolff added Mercedes got the settings wrong because it had problems during Friday practice.

"We had a messy Friday where we couldn't configure it in the way we should have done so it was preset in the wrong way," he said.