Lewis Hamilton insists that just beating Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Nico Rosberg to grand prix wins is not good enough, because he thinks he should be well clear of him.

“It’s still encouraging that I won [in Spain],” he said. “As in Bahrain I felt massively good after that, but I know what I’ve got and I feel it shouldn’t have been that close. That’s what I’m working towards [being further ahead]. The places where I finished ahead, like Malaysia and China, that’s how it should be.”

“In Spain and Bahrain he was quicker. Even though I finished ahead, and it’s positive in the sense I know I’m able to behave well under pressure, [but] ultimately he was quicker. I’m not being negative,” he said. “It’s just I’m a perfectionist. Most people would be like ‘Yeah, I won the race. Even though the other guy was right on my tail, I won the race’. But I should have been quicker. It shouldn’t have been as hard.”

He added: “As I say, I’m striving for perfection. It’s not that I’m unhappy. I had an amazing day [in Spain], an amazing weekend, even though I struggled in qualifying when I nearly lost it. But I just pulled out a really good lap and got pole. That’s a real positive, but it was a risky lap. In the race, I managed to stay ahead, and did a good job. But I want to be better, and that’s what I’m getting at.”