Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says exceptional is the new normal for relentless Lewis Hamilton

British driver left Verstappen and Bottas in his wake during 'immaculate' display at Portuguese GP

Lewis Hamilton after securing victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix at the Algarve International Circuit on Sunday, May 2. EPA

Lewis Hamilton after securing victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix at the Algarve International Circuit on Sunday, May 2. EPA

Lewis Hamilton celebrates his victory in Portugal. Getty

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is congratulated by Red Bull's Max Verstappen who finished second in Portugal. EPA

Mercedes celebrate Lewis Hamilton's victory. EPA

Lewis Hamilton ahead of Dutch driver Max Verstappen during Sunday's Portuguese Grand Prix. EPA

Lewis Hamilton with Max Verstappen close behind. Getty

Red Bull's Sergio Perez ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren. EPA

Lewis Hamilton leads the pack on his way to victory. EPA

Kimi Raikkonen's Alfa Romeo is lifted off the track after crashing. EPA

Lewis Hamilton's impressive performances are being repeated with such regularity that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff now believes "exceptional" is the new normal for Britain's seven-time world champion.

The Mercedes driver delivered another mighty display in the Algarve on Sunday to race past championship rival Max Verstappen and teammate Valtteri Bottas and win for a second time this season.

He will head into this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix with an eight-point advantage over Red Bull's Verstappen in his quest for an eighth world crown.

Nico Rosberg, the only name other than Hamilton's on Formula One's championship trophy in the last seven seasons, called his former rival's drive "phenomenal".

And Wolff, who has overseen Hamilton's remarkable run of success at Mercedes, said: "We had a good car but Lewis just drove an immaculate race.

"It makes no sense to talk about these exceptional Lewis performances because they have been quite regular. It is his standard now and he sets that standard to himself."

Verstappen may well be ruing another missed opportunity. He might have started on pole but for running wide at the fourth corner in qualifying.

Another wobble in the race enabled Hamilton to close in and pass him on lap 11 of 66, while he also failed to obtain a bonus point after exceeding track limits in a late salvo to claim the fastest lap.

Gallery: Verstappen wins Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen crosses the finish line to win the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the Imola racetrack in Italy on Sunday, April 18, 2021. AP

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing celebrates winning the Emilia Romagna GP on Sunday. Getty

Race winner Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing celebrates after winning the Emilia Romagna GP. Getty

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished second at Imola on Sunday. AP

Third placed Lando Norris of McLaren in Imola. Getty

Lewis Hamilton during the Emilia Romagna GP. Getty

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc races at Imola on Sunday. Reuters

Lance Stroll of Aston Martin in Imola. Getty

Fernando Alonso in the pit lane. Getty

In a sport where fine margins and small mistakes can have big outcomes, and with a record 23 races scheduled this year, the seven-times world champion saw plenty of battles to come.

"We’re going to be sick of each other at the end I would imagine, or sick of racing, because there are so many races," joked Hamilton.

The rivalry could boil over with so much at stake, 36-year-old Hamilton chasing records and 23-year-old Verstappen seeking a first crown, but the tone on Sunday remained one of mutual respect.

"I always have full trust in Lewis that we always give each other enough space," said Verstappen, who has won one race and finished second twice.

"I just second that," said Hamilton. "I think it is naturally down to respect and I think both [of us are] very, very hard but fair and I think that’s what makes great racing and great racing drivers."

Verstappen was quick to offer Hamilton his congratulations in the immediate aftermath of their third showdown this year, but Wolff has followed Red Bull team principal Christian Horner in predicting the niceties might not last.

In a recent interview, Horner had said it would be of no great surprise if the two did lock horns at some point in the near future.

And following Hamilton's 97th win, Wolff added: "Lewis and Max are not crossing the line on the track yet because the risk of losing points is just too big. But it is going to go head-to-head and certainly the rivalry may increase."