Lewis Hamilton: 'No tension' with Nico Rosberg after Spanish GP crash

Nico Rosberg (left) leads Lewis Hamilton by 43 points in this year's drivers' championship

Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton says he feels no tension towards Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg despite their crash in Spain.

"It's fine," said the Briton. "In the past, there would have been tension, but there was just pure respect."

Rosberg leads the championship with 100 points after winning four of the first five races, with Hamilton 43 points adrift of the German in third place.

The sixth race of the season takes place in Monaco on Sunday.

BBC Radio 5 live In Short: Me & Rosberg are cool - Hamilton

Hamilton and Rosberg crashed out of the last race in Barcelona after colliding with each other on the first lap.

They have clashed several times in their Formula 1 careers, but the reigning world champion insists there is no lingering bad feeling on this occasion.

Asked why it was different now, he said: "It is always good to discuss things. As a team we did in Barcelona and then at the factory individually.

"Then Nico and I spoke just now. I didn't feel we had to, because there is no issue. We just move on. There is nothing you can do about the past.

"We didn't talk through the incident. We know what happened."

Hamilton added: "We are not like the more emotional beings on the planet who talk about things, we don't do that.

"We arrived very cool and chilled and spoke. All we need to know is the respect is still there and we are going to keep racing. And that's all we had to say.

Hamilton and Rosberg crash out at the Spanish Grand Prix

"We have a long career left with racing with another. There are going to be lots of close encounters and we are just going to try our best."

Rosberg refused to say whether he and Hamilton had discussed the incident.

"If we have spoken or not, that needs to be kept internal," he said. "It is a thing of the past now. I am going to take the same approach as always and do what's necessary to try to win this grand prix."

Hamilton has not won a race since he clinched the title at the US Grand Prix last October but is chasing a victory this weekend.

"If it happens, it happens," he said. "If it doesn't, there will be many more opportunities. There are still 16 races. The glass, rather than it being half full, is 10% full. And there is still the rest of that to fill up."

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