Lewis Hamilton relishing Ferrari battle but doesn't know how long camaraderie with Sebastian Vettel will last

Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix had Hamilton 'very much on the edge' but the banter and civility between him and Vettel may not last much longer

Lewis Hamilton (right) is enjoying his battle with Sebastian Vettel this season (Getty)

Lewis Hamilton admits that he doesn’t know how long the camaraderie will remain as he and Sebastian Vettel battle for the 2017 world championship.

The two of them made brief contact while fighting for the race which Hamilton eventually won in Spain on Sunday afternoon, and the intensity of their contest was etched clearly on their faces afterwards.

“It’s difficult to say,” Hamilton said of the longevity of the banter and civility in their relationship. “We just had a very close battle today. If it had gone in a different direction, it would have been different between us. You know how racing goes. If he had hit me in Turn 1 and then won the race, it would have been. ‘Yeah, great job Sebastian.’” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

“It was aggressive, but ultimately I avoided a collision and was still able to remain in in the fight, fortunately. It was a tough fight and I love a challenge. I think he was respectful and civil, and that respect stayed the same at the end.

“But today he said he was angry. He drove a fantastic race, and I can understand how he feels. We are never going to be happy if we finish second. If he finished second and was happy, I would be concerned. That’s not why we exist.”

Both men sounded breathless over their radios, and Hamilton gave a distant smile, as if savouring what he’d had to give as they went at it, mano a mano.

“The intensity of the fight? How much was I on the edge?” he asked softly. “I was very much on the edge. It’s hard to really explain, but I was pushing! I couldn’t push any more than I was. And that was every lap. For 66 laps, or at least 63 of them.

The 32 year-old, from Tewin, has often said that he relishes a fight, and he says he far prefers racing a rival rather than a team-mate, as he did with Nico Rosberg for the last three seasons.

“The best way I can say it is that I love tennis, I love watching [Roger] Federer and [Novak] Djokovic playing in a final, and what I really admire is their consistency. Every hit of that ball… One misplace or a net can mean a whole game ends. Their concentration is so awesome, as they stay at the limit, and I felt today that I had that sort battle with Seb.

“Definitely it’s one of my favourites, if not the favourite. Having a battle with another team is just so much nicer, so much more enjoyable. There is no tension within our team. After the last race, when Valtteri [his team-mate, Bottas] won, there was never one ounce of feeling in my heart, ‘Dammit, he won the race.’ It was just, ‘He did a good job.’ Team-mates can feel that, and Valtteri did such a great role as a team-mate today, fighting another team. It’s just a completely different feeling. It was unfortunate the kind of day he had, but still he played a key role in the race, it was a team effort to get the win. That’s the ultimate goal.”

Now he and Vettel head for another clash in Monaco, where the track is narrower, the walls closer, the odds stacked higher and the stakes bigger, and where there is zero margin for the sort of move Vettel pulled in Turn 1 in Spain.

Hamilton says it doesn’t matter that he goes there off a win in Spain rather than bruised mentally after his troubles in Russia.

Hamilton can retake the lead in the drivers' championship with a victory in Monaco (Getty)

“Generally, from race to race you reset. I came here [to Spain] from what was obviously a difficult weekend, but I had a great mindset. You have to train yourself to be able to do that. Not every weekend works out perfectly and over time you learn methods to get your mind in the right place. So I don’t think it makes any difference, but of course it’s just nice go into Monaco off a win. The car was fantastic this weekend, and should be good in Monaco. It’s certainly going to be close.”

He’s closed to within six points of Vettel, but is adamant that getting back the lead of the championship isn’t important at this stage.

Hamilton praised the role of his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas (Getty)

“In my mind that is not the most important thing. For me it’s about consistency. You can get ahead for a race and then be behind the next. I’m just thinking about being consistent, trying to perform as I have this weekend, every single race. There are 15 of them left, so it doesn’t matter if I’m leading the championship after the next one. What matters is that I’m leading the world championship after the last race. That’s my thought process.

“Of course I want to win Monaco, and if I do then I will be leading. But it’s not the leading of the championship that’s important. It’s the win that I want.”