Lewis Hamilton has warned Spanish Grand Prix front-row pair Lando Norris and Max Verstappen that Mercedes is firmly in the hunt for victory in Barcelona.
Norris edged out Verstappen by 0.020s to earn a second career F1 pole, but encouragingly for Mercedes, Hamilton was third on the grid - having showed strong practice on the long runs.
The seven-time champion pipped team-mate George Russell by just 0.002s to P3 and feels the W15 is morphing into a "racing machine" that can take the fight to the McLaren and Red Bull drivers.
"We've made huge steps forward, and it just down to every single individual back at the factory who is pushing in design, pushing in making the new parts that we get to bring to the races," Hamilton explained.
"Slowly, the car is crafting into a racing machine that we can hopefully fight the guys with at the front.
"George did a great job as well today, so hopefully [in the race], we can apply pressure on the two cars ahead."
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Third on the grid is Hamilton's highest qualifying position for a grand prix this season, and first top six finish.
He did claim second on the China sprint grid, but third is his best qualifying for a grand prix since third in the United States in October.
But as Mercedes turns the W15 around, Hamilton is buoyed by the progress he is seeing.
"It's been quite a difficult year, so it has been a huge amount of work from everyone back at the factory," he said.
'We've finally started to see those incremental steps, and we're closer to the guys in front.
"I did not expect us to be fighting for pole, necessarily, but every now and then, it looks like we will be there and it will be close, and so to be there, I'm just grateful."
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