Mercedes have shown great pace and great reliability during all three pre-season tests and are odds on favourites to win in Melbourne, but Lewis Hamilton isn’t getting ahead of himself.
The Britain – who is looking to secure a second title – goes into his second year with Mercedes after a successful first year with the Anglo-German team.
Whilst things have gone positively for the outfit so far, Hamilton has warned that they shouldn’t be making predictions despite their test form.
“It is good going into a season – to the first race – knowing that we have covered the most miles,” he told the official F1 website. “We probably are one of the most put-together teams in terms of the car working, a good mileage under our belts and a happy spirit.
“We are driven to fight for the championship – that all is super positive. But let’s keep our feet on the ground: right now – even if all indications look great – it is still difficult to know who is hot and who is not.
“You go to Australia not knowing who the hell will be in the lead. Reliability will be a huge factor for everyone.”
Hamilton wouldn’t be surprised to see a number of different winners in the opening races and fully expects some ‘surprises’.
“It will be a bit of a mix and match in the first few races. Probably some good surprises for the fans – and for us. Maybe a bit of a deja-vu of 2012 when there was a different winner at the first couple of races. It could easily be like that.
“Fortunately the Mercedes is such a good engine: you have Williams, who look like they could be a competitive team, and you have Force India who could be much further ahead. Maybe Felipe Massa will take the Williams to the front! Who knows?”
