World champion expecting tough challenge in Australia
Thursday 31 October 2019 14:54, UK
A suspicious Lewis Hamilton has warned Ferrari "have something up their sleeve" at the season-opening Australian GP.
Although Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel insists Mercedes are still "the favourites" ahead of the new campaign, the F1 world champion has warned that the Scuderia are yet to show their true pace.
Pre-season testing suggested the Scuderia had closed the gap to world champions Mercedes, although the Silver Arrows never ventured onto either of Pirelli's two softest compounds as they focused on mileage rather than outright speed.
When is the Australian GP on Sky Sports?
Ferrari, for their part, haven't overly talked up their chances heading to Melbourne, but Hamilton feels they are deliberately keeping a low profile.
"I think they have something up their sleeve this weekend," warned Hamilton.
"I think they have a lot more than they are talking. They have arrived on the low, but are going to deliver high."
Hamilton's wariness of the Scuderia was echoed by team-mate Nico Rosberg who sees the scarlet cars as a danger to Mercedes.
"Ferrari is a big threat," said Rosberg.
"They were extremely close to our pace in testing. Of course, you never know [their fuel load], but we're taking them extremely seriously and we need to be careful.
"In two days we'll know."
Vettel is expected to be Hamilton's closest rival in 2016 and is predicting a closer scrap with Mercedes during the 2016 season.
"I think we are closer than last year, especially in the race," said the four-time world champion.
"The question is whether we are ready in time. But we are making progress. We did so last year and we have made a step over the winter, whether it is big enough I think we need to wait until the first couple of races and see. But our target is to turn things around.
"Going into this season it is not a surprise that Mercedes are still the favourites but we are trying to become the favourites."
The German did have a ringing endorsement for the SF16-H which he will pilot in 2016 and has nicknamed Margarita.
"It is a big improvement and a big step forward overall," he added. "We've done a very, very nice job - and it gives us more chance to improve through the year."
An area Ferrari particularly need to improve for 2016 is their qualifying pace with just five pole positions in the last six years.
"Usually qualifying pace is all about raw pace so by trying to make our package quicker, our car quicker, our engine quicker we enhance our chances to do well in qualifying," he said.
"I don't think there is a big secret, qualifying is all about the raw performance of the car and we know we are still a little behind, as we were last year. Obviously we are trying to be a lot closer, how close I don't know, but we have a plan, we know what we want to do. We will be in a better position very soon with more pole positions under our belts.
The first race of the 2016 F1 season, the Australian GP, is exclusively live on Sky Sports F1. The race in Melbourne starts at 5am on Sunday March 20.
