F1: Lewis Hamilton upbeat but in search of perfection after victory at Bahrain Grand Prix

Hamilton said he never felt unbeatable despite winning nine of the last 11 races

Lewis Hamilton celebrates at the Bahrain Grand Prix (GETTY IMAGES)

So what was the gesture all about, as Lewis Hamilton stood atop his race-winning Mercedes in Bahrain on Sunday night, mimicking swinging a baseball bat?

“I’m a perfectionist,” he said, smiling. “I drove better here than [team-mate] Nico [Rosberg] last year but I wasn’t quick enough. I won by the skin of my teeth. So I came here wanting to do better and it’s the first time here that I’ve been fastest in every session. I wanted to knock the ball out of the park here and I did that. That felt really, really good.”

With nine wins from the last 11 races for the double world champion, this is a stamping of authority every bit as convincing as Sebastian Vettel’s in the previous four seasons with Red Bull.

Hamilton said he was not sure he had ever felt unbeatable but the signs for his rivals look ominous. “I feel very powerful in this car and I’m getting everything out of this package, even more than from the 2014 car [which took him to the world title]. I feel a power and strength when I’m in the cockpit that’s greater than ever.”

Lewis Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix (GETTY IMAGES)

Despite this upbeat assessment and his winning streak, he added he was not 100 per cent satisfied with his display in Bahrain.

“I got a good start but braked too early in turn one and too late in turn four,” he laughed, with the ease of a man who thereafter got the job done without further drama.

Next up for Hamilton is some career guidance for his younger brother Nic, who will soon begin life in the British Touring Car Championship. “We Hamiltons like to do things for ourselves,” the older brother said. “But it’s a great feeling to be able to help him. I’m really excited by that.”