Lewis Hamilton reduced the deficit to 2-8 in qualifying head-to-heads against Ge𝔍orge Russell in Barcelona.

The dominance of the younger Mercedes driver on Saturdays this season has become a talking point, since Hamilton oddly🍌 claimed he did not expe𒁃ct to out-qualify him for the rest of the year.

But at the F💃1 Spanish Grand Prix o🀅n Saturday, Hamilton qualified third, one place in front of Russell.

Sky Sports’ Crai🐓g Slater asked Mercedes boss Toto Wolff: “Will that batt💮le ebb and flow?

“The better th🎐e car, the more energised Lewis will 🦋be?”

Wolff responded: “I think he has always been ener✤gised. The gaps are so tiny.

“It can swing one direction or the other.

“I’m happy it went good for him [on Saturday].”

Notably Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was denied pole position by McLaren’s Lando Nor💦ris.

Wolff was asked if Verstappen missing pole gave encouragement to the꧃🌺 chasing pack.

“I’m not sure it’s a boost,”💙 Wolff said. “He has been beaten by Norris.

“Look at ourselves, three tenths [behind].

“Le🍸t’s see how the McLarens go. It’s good that there is one challenger. Maybe we can have a good day.”

Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will line♔ up in fifth and sixth after ღa razor-close qualifying session behind the Mercedes pair.

Wolff summarised his team’s Saturday.

“It’s no𒈔t great,” he said. “T♒hird and fourth could have been fifth and sixth because it was so close to the Ferraris.

“Three tenths to the lead🐈ers. It didn’t look that way on [Friday]. Maybe we were too optimistic.

“Overall it’s a solid result but no m🗹ore than that.”