Lewis Hamilton reduced the deficitꦡ to 2-8 in qualifying head-to-heads against George Russell in Barcelona.

The dominance of the younger Mercedes driver on Saturdays this season has become a talking point, since Hamilton oddly claimed he did not expect to out-ꩵqualify him for the rest of the year.

But at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday, Hamilton♉ qualified ✱third, one place in front of Russell.

Sky Sport✤s’ Craig Slater asked Merced🙈es boss Toto Wolff: “Will that battle ebb and flow?

“The better the car, the more energised Lewis 🍌will be?”

Wolff re𓆏sponded: “I thinꦦk he has always been energised. The gaps are so tiny.

“It can swing one direction or the other.

“I’m happy it went good for him [on Saturday].”

Notably Red Bull’s Max Verstappen 🅰was denied pole position by McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Wolff was asked if Verstappen missing pole gave encour🃏agement to t✱he chasing pack.

“I’m not sure it’s a boost,” Wolff sꦫaid. “He has been beaten by Norris.

“Look at ourselves, three tenths [behind].

“Let’s se🌠e how the McLarens go. It’s good t🎃hat there is one challenger. Maybe we can have a good day.”

Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Ca🦂rlos Sainz will line up in fifth and sixth after⭕ a razor-close qualifying session behind the Mercedes pair.

Wolff summarised his team’s Saturday.

“It’s not grea🍃t,” he said. “Third and fourth could have been fifth and sixth ꦍbecause it was so close to the Ferraris.

“Three tenths to the leaders. It didn’t looౠk that way on [Friday]. Maybe we were t༺oo optimistic.

“Overall it’s a solid result but no more than t👍hat.”