Mercedes’ Hamilton and Red Bull driver Verstappen kept up their 100ꦗ percent record of engaging in an on-track fight in 2021 as they went wheel-to-wheel for the fourth time in as many r𒐪aces in Barcelona.

Having initially lost the lead when Verstappen barged his way past into Turn 1 at the start, Hamilton - aided by a brilliant Mercedes strategy - was able to hunt down and repass 📖Verstappen six laps from the end to score h🍸is fifth successive Spanish GP victory.

The🐽 seven-time world champion stressed he is “continuing to love🎀 this battle we are having” and reckons he learned more about Verstappen in Spain than in “all the other races” combined.

“I learned a lot about Max today,” Hamilton said. “Perhaps mo🌊re than all the other races put together.

“So this has been a good one in that sense.”

When asked if he could elaborate on what he meant 🦄about Verstappen, Hamilton laughed and replied: “No particularly, no!

“It was just good,”ཧ he continued. “When you are with people on track you get to see different things and watch closely.

“Obviously I was following 🍬relatively closely and I learned a lot aboutꦦ his car and how he uses it. So, it was a good race in that respect.”

Hamilton’s w💮in in Spain was his third victory from the opening four races and marked his best-ever start t🥀o an F1 season.

The Briton has subsequently extended his championship lead over Verstappen to🐟 14 points heading into the Monaco Grand Prix.

“Every year I come back and I’m always trying to improve, and most often it tends to seem impossible, but it’s a necessity,” he ꦜexplainedᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ.

“The Red Bulls have star🌳ted off incredib🦩ly strong, they do both have a championship winning car and opportunity.

“As do we. A🅠nd it’s going to take everything from us, not only me bringing my A game but the team bringing their A game weekend in, weekend out.

“Otherwise, these guys will be winning.”