Practice perfect as Hamilton sets pace

THE guessing game over who is Formula One’s fastest won’t end until Australian Grand Prix qualifying today, according to leading team bosses.

But the answer already seems clear after Mercedes’ five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton dominated practice ahead of the season opener in Melbourne.

While Mercedes’ Toto Wolff and Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto insisted qualifying would be the true gauge, few would bet against Hamilton. After topping the timesheets in yesterday’s initial 90-minute practice, Hamilton backed up in the next session to go almost a second faster.

He clocked a lap of 1 min 22.60 sec, 0.048 ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. Red Bull’s young gun Max Verstappen was third fastest but almost a second behind Hamilton.

Mercedes left the team considered the biggest threat in 2019 — Ferrari — in its wake.

After showing blistering speed at testing, Ferrari’s fourtime world champion Sebastian Vettel could only manage fifth fastest in the second practice session with his new teammate Charles Leclerc ninth.

Australian star Daniel Ricciardo was a big mover on his Renault debut, jumping from 17th in the first session to be eighth fastest ahead of today’s qualifying.

After impressing at recent testing at Barcelona, Ferrari’s Binotto seemed to be foxing yesterday when he claimed he wasn’t optimistic about their Melbourne chances. “We are not confident at all,” he said.

“Testing is not qualifying. It is not a racing environment, you never know what the others will bring.

“Mercedes have won a lot of championships. They are still the team to beat — we are just trying to improve and go as fast as we can.”

Wolff agreed with Binotto that qualifying would be a more accurate yardstick.

“Testing was hard to read for us. But it is when we are pants down on Saturday [in qualifying] that will be the real benchmark,” he said.

Still, Hamilton sounded his intentions with the practice clean sweep. He looks on track to claim a record eighth overall pole and sixth straight at Albert Park today.

Mercedes is aiming for a sixth straight constructors’ title, equalling Ferrari’s record run from 1999.

Vettel may need to produce something special to claim a third straight Australian Grand Prix after struggling at second practice.