Lewis Hamilton has admitted that Ferrari have caught up with Mercedes's race start technology in 2017.

Mercedes entered the season with field-leading technology for the race starts, but a reporter told Hamilton in Monaco that Ferrari have now copied that approach.

Asked if the German team have lost their advantage, Hamilton said: "I don't know if we've lost it. [Barcelona] was just one race.

"If you look at the averages of all the cars, we have had the best starts so far this season.

"So as a team we are the leaders, but definitely in the last race Ferrari was a little bit stronger. But I think the last race also showed that the start isn't everything."

Hamilton trails championship-leading Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari by six points heading into the Monaco Grand Prix.