It’s three & easy

The Brit beat his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, 30, by just 0.059 seconds to secure pole position.

Hamilton, 35, said: “I love this place, it suits me. I couldn’t go any quicker – thankfully I finished up doing a good job.”

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, 22, claimed a third place in qualifying for the first time.

“I wasn’t going to hang around like grandma otherwise the Mercedes guys will just drive away,” he said.

Hamilton clocked a final show of

1min 15.584secs around the tricky, 2.892 mile Barcelona circuit, ahead of Bottas

(1:15.643) and Verstappen (1:16.292). They will today face 66 laps and

190.825 miles in the 30th Spanish GP at the Circuit de Barcelona, where 21 of the

29 races have been won from pole.

Bottas, who has just signed a new

£30million-a-year deal with Mercedes, said: “The start is going to be crucial for me. It will be my best opportunity to get in front of Lewis, I’ll be doing my utmost to get ahead.”

In 13 starts Hammy has clinched four victories, eight podiums and four pole placings around the circuit where his team hold winter test sessions.

And he is favourite to add another triumph to that haul today.

His boss, Toto Wolff, said: “We can expect a good fight. The

70th Anniversary race last week was a good reminder how challenging our sport can be and how difficult it is to be the winner. Last time out we were well and truly beaten by Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

“We have always shown that our greatest strength is when we are faced with tough and unexpected challenges. “We know Barcelona better than any other circuit on the calendar and we are excited to get back on track after last week.”

Verstappen’s breakthrough – to close in on the Mercedes duo – pleased his boss, Chris Horner. “It is all coming just right for the team and him,” he said. Verstappen said: “I expect Me r c e d e s could have the edge but who knows what will happen?”