Lewis Hamilton has revealed overnight changes made to his Mercedes Formula 1 car helped him pip teammate Valtteri Bottas to pole position for the 🍌Spanish Grand Prix.

Hamilton topped final practice and led every session of qualifying on his way to claiming his 92nd career pole at the Circuit de Barc🦹elona-Catalunya as Mercedes once again comprehensively locked out the front-row.

The six-times worl𝔉d champion ultimately beat Bottas ꦰto pole by just 0.059s, a slim qualifying defeat the Finn conceded was “annoying”.

“It’s definit𝕴ely been a good Saturday, I’m smiling under this [face mask],” Hami༺lton said.

“It’s been a really big challenge this we♕ekend, I think for us all, the physical demandꦜs of this track as we’re faster than ever before, but more so just managing these tyres with this temperatures.

“It’s very, very hot out there and as you can see different pe✃ople trying different things on the out lap. And also there’s a little bit of a gust always in the afternoon here in Barcelona so it makes it a tricky session.

“But overnight we made some really good changes and progressed forwards rather 𒁏than backwards, which is always a good thing.

“I’ve been here, obviously with the guys, till 10pm last night, looking overꦇ all the details, how can we improve, what are the areas for the race that we could get better, because these Red Bulls are super fast.”

Hamilton said ꦍhe was grateful to seal pole despite a “very poor’ lap during his second and final ♌run in Q3.

“I think each first lap was strong, which I was really happy with,” he expla🦩iend.

“The one in Q3 was solid but I felt like I could improve. I wasn’t able to do it on the second lap but fortuꦜnately neither did tꦰhe strong dude next to me.

“I think he is keeping me honest, it’s very close between us, so e𝐆very millisecond counts. But I am incr༒edibly grateful to the guys for continuing to push as it is not easy to do weekend in, weekend out.

“I’m constantly impressed by the൲ir open-mindedness𝓡 and the things we’re doing.”

Despite Mercedes’ latest dominant showing in qualifying, Hamilton is anticipating a much closer battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Sunday’s race, given his impressive long run pace during Friday practi🍨ce.

“Tomorrow is going to be tough when we get to the race, as the scenario i🎃s different,” he said.

“I think over a sing🌊le lap we seem to have the edge over the RBs but I think this weekend we’re pretty much on par when 🙈it comes to race pace, so it’s going to be a tough battle with Max tomorrow.”