After Barcelona disappointment, Hamilton lays his hands on a new set of Keys

Lewis Hamilton poses with Alicia Keys

Lewis Hamilton put his difficult weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix behind him to link up with R&B singer Alicia Keys last night. 

The Mercedes driver, who finished 12th and one lap down on race-winner Fernando Alonso after starting on the front row of the grid, collaborated with Keys at a Blackberry event in the United States.

'Been at the Blackberry Event today in Orlando & bumped into @aliciakeys. Much love Alicia, keep doing your thing' said Hamilton, via his Twitter account. 

Hamilton during a pit-stop at the Spanish Grand Prix

While Keys, best known for her records 'Fallin'' and 'Empire State of Mind', added: 'Crazy collaborations goin' on!'

Hamilton slipped back from second on the grid to 12th at the Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday as Mercedes continued to struggle with their race pace and the 28-year-old has called on his team to rectify their problems with tyre management in time for next weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. 

Going backwards: Hamilton slipped back to 12th after starting on the front row in Barcelona

'Things definitely need to change very quickly for us to stand a chance in the championship,' said Hamilton, who is fourth in the drivers' standings.

'I don't think it is rocket science. The team are clearly doing something they have been doing for a long time but clearly it is not working. We need to take a step back and try something new. Maybe we need to approach the set-up a little bit differently for the race.

'Maybe I need to work a little more on how I can use the tyres. 'There are lots of areas, but we are going to work hard to make sure we get on top of it.