'Nice to be back up there' - Lewis Hamilton 'positive' ahead of Australian GP after nightmare start to season

Lewis Hamilton believes there is cause to be optimistic at Mercedes after a vastly-improved showing saw the Brit qualify fifth at the Australian Grand Prix. After a difficult start to the season, it looked like the Silver Arrows’ struggles would continue in Melbourne following first and second practice yesterday, with both Hamilton and team-mate George Russell cut well adrift of the Ferrari and Red Bull cars.

Ad/> However, on a new-look Albert Park circuit making its return to the F1 calendar after a two-year absence, the seven-time world champion was able to qualify in a respectable fifth, one place ahead of team-mate George Russell and within a second of pole-sitter Charles Leclerc. Australian Grand PrixStroll handed penalty after heavy qualifying collision with Latifi3 HOURS AGO It means that Sunday’s race will be the first time this season that both Mercedes cars have started inside the top six on the grid as the team continues to wrestle with the porpoising issues that have been responsible for much of their early-season woes.

Porpoising is an aerodynamic issue caused by a sudden increase and then decrease in downforce, which leads to F1 cars bouncing up and down at high speeds. ‘All over the place’ — Verstappen on Red Bull’s qualifying display Stroll handed penalty after heavy qualifying collision with Latifi ‘Cancel culture’ — Mazepin on Russia’s sporting sanctions It was a problem that blighted most teams during pre-season testing in Bahrain, but while many have found ways to counteract the issue, Mercedes have continued to see the phenomenon lead to a reduction in performance, leaving them adrift of their two biggest rivals.