Lewis Hamilton admits he would prefer fighting another team for the title

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he would find a multi-team battle for the world championship more exciting than a rematch of his 2014 title fight with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.

The Silver Arrows are expected to be in a class of their own at the start of the new 2015 season following the outstanding performance of their new W06 through winter testing. After Nico Rosberg set the fastest time seen so far at the two Barcelona meetings, Hamilton topped the timesheets when he made his final appearance before Melbourne on Saturday.

“I think it is more exciting when you are battling another team,” Hamilton said afterwards. “Growing up watching Formula 1 I think it was more fun watching two teams fight each other. Having the competition within the team is still exciting, but I think it is more fun when you are fighting another team.”

Hamilton’s fastest lap time, a 1:23.022 set on soft tyres as temperatures plummeted, was two-tenths better than the best laps recorded by both Ferrari and Williams on the quicker supersoft compound. Hamilton’s mid-afternoon burst on the medium tyres was arguably even more impressive as the world champion bettered Rosberg’s fastest lap on the compound, set in the closing stages of last week’s Barcelona test.

Howver, Rosberg's Friday afternoon lap of 1:22.792 remains the fastest seen at the Circuit de Catalunya this year.

The rivalry between Hamilton and Rosberg frequently boiled over in 2014 but the Englishman says there was no need for the pair to hold truce talks over the winter.

“We had a lot of races last year where we did really well and we are planning on doing the same thing and trying to win for the team,” he said. “We haven’t sat down and discussed anything from last year, I think we learnt a lot last year through the year so there is no need to discuss it.”

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But discussions are ongoing between Hamilton and Mercedes over a new contract. The 30-year-old has already entered the final year of the three-season deal he signed when he left McLaren at the end of 2012, but joined team boss Toto Wolff in laughing off reports that he was set to sign a £1m-a-week contract.

Asked about the claims, Hamilton joked: “I said to Toto, ‘yes please!’"