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

Having initially lost the lead when Verstappen barged his way past into Turn 1 at the start, Hamilton - aided by a brilliant Mercede🌟s strategy - was able to hunt down and repass Verstappen six laps from the end to score his 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 Verstapp🌄en in Spain than in “all the other races” combined.

“I learned a lot about Max today,” Hamilton said. “Perhaps more than all the other races put tog༺ether.

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

When asked if he c🐼ould elaborate on what he meant about Verstappen, Hamilton laughed🌞 and replied: “No particularly, no!

“It was just good,” 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 about his car and how he uses it. So, it was aꦕ good race in that respect.”

Hamilton’s win in Spain was his third victory from the opening fo🌃ur 𓂃races and marked his best-ever start to an F1 season.

The 𒅌Briton has subsequently extended his championship lဣead over Verstappen to 14 points heading into the Monaco Grand Prix.

“Every year I come back and I’m always trying to impro🅺ve, and most often i༒t tends to seem impossible, but it’s a necessity,” he explained.

“The Red Bul🔯ls have started off incredibly strong, they do both have a championship winning car and opportunity.

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

“Otherwise, these guys will be winning.”