Hamilton and Mercedes throw down gauntlet

Saturday, 25 March 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

REUTERS: Three-times world champion Lewis Hamilton put Mercedes on top of the timesheets in free practise at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Friday, leaving his Formula One rivals with plenty to ponder before the race weekend.

Hamilton led new team mate Valtteri Bottas in a Mercedes one-two in the first session and raised the pace in the second to be comfortably quicker than Ferrari’s second-fastest Sebastian Vettel on a cloudy day at Albert Park.

The Briton’s fastest lap in the second session of one minute 23.62 seconds was more than half a second clear of four-times world champion Vettel, who edged Bottas into third.

Vettel’s 2007 championship-winning team mate Kimi Raikkonen was fourth fastest in the final session, improving on his fifth placing earlier.

The first session was largely incident-free but a number of drivers suffered problems later, with Renault driver Jolyon Palmer having a particularly tough day.