The seven-time world champion dropped to 19th after picking up a puncture in a first-lap collision with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, before mounting an incredible recover🍸y drive to finish fifth at Barcelona. 

After finding himself 30 se💎conds adrift of the pack following his early pit stop, Hamilton admitted he initially doubted that such a result was possible. 

“I am so happy,” Hamilton said after the race. “I 🌠was hoping for a smoother race witho🌠ut the issue at the beginning. I was 30 seconds behind last at one stage. 

“Having seen what it was like back in Jeddah where ܫI started 15th and struggled to get into the top ten, I was thinking this is impossible to get back into the points but they said no I was on for eighth. 

“I couldn't understand i⛄t and thought they were definitely being super optimistic. But I thought let's give it eve🍬rything and see where I come out. 

“T✱urns out it was higher than eighth, a little unfortunate at the end with the engine but I am glad we finished.”&n😼bsp;

Hamilton even🏅 suggested Mercedes should retire ꦬhis car in order to preserve his engine amid concerns about a potential grid drop later in the season. 

Asked about his plea over team radꦡio to “save the engine”, Hamilton replied: “I was 30 seconds behind so I thought if I am going to use a whole engine to drive around in last or out of the top 15 and at some point take a penalty, I thought we may as well save the engine so we can live to fight another day. 

“Thank god we d💞idn't,🀅 that is why we never stop we never give up and that's what I did.” 

Having swept past C🎀arlos Sainz for fourth, Hamilton lost the position to the Ferr♏ari driver on the penultimate lap after being told to lift-and-coast by Mercedes because he had a water leak on his car. 

Speaking to Sky꧂, Hamilton said the late issue forced him to drive at “half-throttle” during the closing laps. 

"It was a lot hotter than predicted today and it’s quite to⛎ugh with these cars,” he explained.&nb🔯sp;

“I don’t know exactly went on with the car, I’ve ꦦnot 🌜spoken with the team because I’ve been elsewhere. 

“But I had to basically just drive it at half-throttle and lots of lifting down the straights just to try and get fresh air into the engine to try and🀅 cool it down.” 

‘Hamilton had pace to win’ - Wolff 

Mercedes bos𓆏s Toto Wolff felt that Hamilton could h♓ave challenged for victory without the first-lap contact, given the remarkable speed he had demonstrated during his comeback charge through the field. 

“It’s always the call wh🍷en you’ve basically lost the race to decide, what’s the benefit of continuing,” Wolff said.&nb꧟sp;

“From a driver’s perspective you’re like, ‘that can’t be possible, I’m 50 seconds behind the leaders’. But it’s still valu💎a⛦ble mileage, and we are never giving up anyway. 

“At the end hi🀅s race pace was stunning. He would have raced for the w🍬in.

"I’m happy that we didn’t retire Lewis as that was the most valuable race for us to compare the tw🍃o cars, to compare set-ups, and tyres.”&nb🔯sp;

Mercedes’ encouraging step forward was also demonstrated by George Russell’s imprꦐessive drive to third place on the podium, but Wolff says there is more to come from his team. 

"It’s better than expected because I’m always 🥀so pessimistic about things,” he added. “We’ve played clear from the midfield, at least in Barcelona, and caught up by half a second to the frontrunners. 

“We were a second off and now it’s half a second and there’s more to come, more un♒derstanding now which we can un⛎lock in the car, I’m sure about that.”