Lewis Hamilton is expecting a “tight race” in Australia after taking pole position for the 2017 Formula 1 season opener.
The British driver set the pace early in Q3, before improving his time to secure pole by under three tenths of a second.
Ferrari showed stronger pace at Albert Park compared to last year, with Sebastian Vettel beating Hamilton’s new Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas to the final spot on the front row.
Despite Hamilton comfortably securing his sixth pole position in Australia, he feels it will be a much closer race in 2017.
“It’s been a fantastic weekend so far and it’s quite amazing to come here for the 11th time,” he said.
“It feels like only yesterday I came and had my first race here in 2007. I’m just incredibly proud of my team, the rule changes have been huge and such a massive challenge for everyone.
“The guys have just worked so hard to make this car what it is today. Valtteri did a fantastic job, it’s his first qualifying session with the team.
“Looking forward to the race, obviously, it’s close between us, as you can see it’s going to be a tight race this year.”
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