Lewis Hamilton says his recovery to finish fifth in the Spanish Grand Prix feels better than a win.
The seven-time champion fought back from a puncture on the first lap and ended up in 19th.
It marked an improved weekend for Mercedes, who have struggled with their car in the opening five races.
It felt like some of the older races I have done when I had that problem.
It feels amazing.
After colliding with Kevin Magnussen on the opening lap in Barcelona, Hamilton suggested retiring his car to preserve his engine, but he was back at the back of the field after his pit stop.
But he responded with a fine drive and was on course to finish fourth until he had to slow down in the closing laps because of a coolant leak, which allowed Carlos Sainz to take the position Hamilton had taken.
I thought it was impossible to get back into points, but the team said no and I was happy about it.
It shows you never stop and never give up, and that's what I did.
A race like that is like a win, and it actually feels better than a win most often when you have come from far away.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the grand prix with team-mate Sergio Perez second ahead of Russell after Charles Leclerc retired from the lead with an engine problem.
The redesign of the floor of the Mercedes car in Spain seems to have solved the problem of high-speed bouncing, which is caused by aerodynamic disruption on the straights.
In the first five races, Mercedes only had two podium finishes, with Hamilton often cutting a frustrated figure.
The race pace is much better, the car is nicer in the race, and we have some improvements to make in qualification.
I would have been fighting with the Red Bulls if I had that issue at the beginning.
Wolff said that Hamilton's performance reminded him of his previous title-winning seasons.
Wolff said that showing this good pace was important for both his and our morale.
Who would have thought he would climb all the way to fourth before the problem occurred, and that looked like a World Championship-winning race car he was driving?
It reminded me of last year and the year before when the car and driver were at their best.
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