Even with a lack of familiarity with his new team’s rain settings on a wet and windy day, Hamilton, and Ferrari fans, would have hoped for much better as the Briton launched his bid for a record eighth world championship.

Instead, it was McLaren’s Lando Norris on top, Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate George Russell on the podium and Kimi Antonelli, the Italian teenager who replaced him at the “Silver Arrows”, celebrating an eye-catching fourth on debut.

Earlier in the week, Hamilton turned heads at Albert Park when he arrived at the paddock in a black suit without a shirt.
But there were no bold statements on race day as he struggled to take a point and his teammate Charles Leclerc laboured to an eighth-place finish.

Frustrated by his car’s performance, Hamilton had several testy exchanges with Ferrari race engineer Riccardo Adami on the team radio.
He complained he was wrong-footed by a call on the weather during the race and let down by poor strategy.

--Reuters--