DIFFERENT

Hamilton ‘in league of his own’ after Aussie blitz

MELBOURNE

LEWIS Hamilton was hailed as being “in a league of his own” as he burned off his rivals in the year’s opening practice sessions at the Australian Grand Prix yesterday.

The triple world champion bossed the field and held a halfsecond gap over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and his new Mercedes AMG Petronasteammate Valtteri Bottas in the afternoon session.

Britain’s Hamilton followed up his field-leading fastest lap of 1 min 24.220 secs in the morning run with a blistering 1:23.620s in the late afternoon.

It was around one-tenth of a second off Vettel’s circuit record