Hamilton and Vettel relish Ferrari fight this season

LEWIS HAMILTON learned the hard way that if man and machine are not 100 per cent then the victory champagne will be hard to come by this season.

The only thing Sebastian Vettel got wrong as he stormed to the chequered flag in the season opener in Australia was to spray the victor’s bubbly in his own face as he celebrated.

He can be forgiven. After all, it’s been a while – this was Ferrari and Vettel’s first Formula One win since Singapore in 2015.

More significantly, it is the first time that a non-Mercedes driver has led the world championship since Vettel clinched victory and a fourth title in Abu Dhabi in 2013.

Bluffer

Hamilton said he wanted a fight with Ferrari and he left Melbourne in no doubt that’s exactly what he faces after finishing second, ahead of new team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

His Mercedes is certainly quick as his pole position lap proved. But when it came to the race it was the Ferrari, in the hands of Vettel, that was the class act in the field.

The pace the Italian giants showed in pre-season has been carried over to the track, a point Hamilton made when assessing the season ahead.

“I’m not a liar or a bluffer when I said that Ferrari were quick,” he said. “I didn’t know for sure how quick they were going to be in the race but their pace was great. We’ve got a race on our hands.”

Hamilton did manage to keep the lead after starting on pole. But staying ahead of Vettel was so punishing on his tyres that he was forced to pit first.

When he returned, Hamilton found his chances hampered when he was caught up behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

But Vettel is likely to have had the pace to take the win anyway, even if he had not emerged in the lead after his stop.

“That was obviously crucial,” said Vettel of from JAMES MURRAY in Melbourne the strategy. “We got a bit lucky with him facing some traffic but equally we pushed him to the pits.”

Ferrari seem to have adapted just as well, if not better, to the regulations changes brought in to speed up cars and improve the show.

And Vettel is clearly relishing the prospect of facing Hamilton in the remaining 19 races.

“I have great respect for Lewis,” he said. “He’s one of the quickest drivers on the grid and I would love a close battle.

“Obviously right now it looks like we have equal machinery.

“I hope it stays that way and then we will see how it turns out but it’s obviously a lot of fun to race for victories and a lot of fun to race against the best.”

Hamilton has already spoken of his desire to beat Vettel fair and square this season and the result in Australia has only increased that passion. “The fact that we are similar pace-wise means it’s going to be a very, very hard slog this season,” he said. “It’s going to be very demanding both physically and mentally. Racing

the best is what F1 is all about – as Sebastian said. And that all makes you work so much harder. I’m looking forward to that.

“It is going to be close but I believe we can beat them.”