Hamilton prefers it when rivals are competing for races

Lewis Hamilton has insisted he prefers it when his rivals are in the mix competing for race wins rather than the pure dominance the Mercedes team have shown in the opening weeks of the season.

Mercedes completed another one-two at the recent Spanish Grand Prix, their fifth in a row as Lewis Hamilton regained the lead of the World Championship. Ferrari meanwhile have struggled for reliability, consistency and have been under scrutiny for their team orders. As for Red Bull, Max Verstappen has been able to beat at least one of the Ferrari drivers at every race this season whilst Pierre Gasly hasn’t been competing at the top end.

Following the Spanish Grand Prix Hamilton said: “My personal feeling is that I prefer it when they are in the mix with us.

“I prefer the races, where, for example, Bahrain where they were on the front row. I love that.

“That’s… especially when we’re intertwined, where there’s a Ferrari and a Mercedes, or a Mercedes and a Ferrari, the last couple of years, that’s what we’ve had, and from a drivers’ point of view and a team’s point of view, it’s much better when you’re competing with another team.”