Lando Norris remains convinced that the only thing that cost him victory in Spain was his poor start.
Starting from pole, the Briton was slower getting off the line than Max Verstappen alongside and consequently had to focus on trying to shut down the Dutchman on the long run to Turn 1.
Unfortunately, this meant that as he focussed on the Red Bull to his right he was unaware of countryman George Russell's impressive start which allowed the Mercedes driver to go around the outside of both of them in the opening corner and take the lead.
Compounding Norris' misery is the fact that while Verstappen soon got to grips with the Mercedes driver to reclaim the lead, it was a dozen laps before he was able to make a move on Russell to claim second.
"I got a bad start, simple as that," he admitted at race end. "I just lost it in the beginning. I need to look back and review.
"I don't know what I did wrong, or if I was just slightly out," he continued. "It was only a little bit to Max that I lost, it wasn't like he was completely alongside, it's more that George was suddenly outside and kind of had me over.
"It wasn't like it was a bad start, it was two metres... It wasn't the best start but I didn't think it was a bad start. Max just got there. I couldn't cover him, and that was it.
"It's a shame that such a small margin cost us," said the Briton, who has gained a reputation for self-criticism. "Nowadays, when it's so close, one or two metres generally makes a difference whether you can win a race like today, or don't win a race.
"From George's side? George had such good slipstream," he admitted. "George's slipstream passed both of us. The cars are getting more and more draggy in some ways, there is more and more downforce in an efficient way.
"Even if you took me out of it, George still would have got past Max," he insisted. "That's the crazy part of it all. The overtaking, the following, the dirty air... that cost me the win today.
"Not good, I should have won," he sighed. "The car was incredible today. I think we were for sure the quickest. Big thanks to the team, because the car was amazing.
"Today we had the opportunity to win and those are opportunities that we can't miss out on," he admitted. "Whether or not we had the best package, or we didn't, today we should have won the race, but we didn't.
"I'm disappointed, but there are a lot of positives... One negative, and that kind of ruined everything. I know that I can just work on it for next time.
"I don't care what position it is. It's the gap to first, which I care about and that was bigger today. So I'm frustrated, you know, because I didn't just lose a race to someone. I just lost it to Max and he's the leader of the championship. If it's like this every weekend, I need something more. I need Max to not finish second, or do as good as he's doing at the minute.
Asked if the McLaren is now the fastest car on the grid, he replied: "Today, yes. Yesterday, no. Yesterday, 100%, the Red Bull was quicker. I don't care what people say. Today, we were the quickest car. Fact. So the team deserved it.
"I think we were the quickest on track. From start to finish, we were the quickest. With the overtaking, with the following, with the dirty air, that cost me the win today. So I just didn't do a good enough job. Simple as that."
With Barcelona being the first leg of the season's first triple-header, the Briton was asked if he believes he can keep the momentum going over the following two races.
"Austria and Silverstone are two of my favourite tracks in terms of performances and where I perform well at," he re[lied. "I'm excited. We're on a good role. We're doing well, I need to just tidy up a few little bits and I'll be on top.
"We have what we need. I have what I need. The team has what they need."
And beyond that, is the title a possibility?
"If it's like this every weekend, you know I need something more," he said. "I need Max to not finish second, or be as good as he's doing at the minute, but he's doing a good job, so I can't fault him. We do, I think we have what we need. I have what I need, the team have what they need.
"I think as a team, we have the good car. We still need to improve on some things and I'm confident we can but yeah. Today we had the opportunity to win. Whether or not we had the best package or we didn't or whatever the questions are, we should have won the race and we didn't and those are opportunities we can't miss out on."
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