Australian GP 2019: Lewis Hamilton Kicks Off Season With Pole Position In Final Practice, Says Mercedes Pace "Is Shocking"

Lewis Hamilton has sent a strong message to his rivals especially Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, claiming his 84th pole position in Melbourne on Saturday with a "shocking" performance from Mercedes.
Season's favourite Vettel, who finished in third position, was edged out by the five-time champion in a hat-trick of the fastest times at the final practice session. He was trailed by his team-mate Valtteri Bottas in second position by just a tenth of a second.
The performance was a surprise to Vettel team was believed to be half a second faster that Mercedes' during pre-season testing but that turned out to be contrary to expectations.
"That gap is a surprise," Vettel said in admission "There's homework for us to do but I still think we have a great car. Mercedes are the clear favourites"
Also, Ferrari's new intro Charles Leclerc showed his skills in the final, coming in fifth position behind veteran Max Verstappen by two tenth of a second.
"I really wasn't expecting to see the performance difference," Hamilton admitted to Mercedes pace advantage over Ferrari " It is a shock. We really had no idea that we would have this performance."