Australian Grand Prix 2016: Lewis Hamilton still riding wave of success but is wary of Ferrari challenge

World champion says his Mercedes W07 Hybrid is already better than the car in which he dominated last year

Lewis Hamilton signs autographs at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne (EPA)

At a time when many of the burghers of the sport have chosen to launch further scathing attacks rather than promoting it, it took a 21-year-old surfing champion to provide some perspective as the new season commences at Melbourne’s Albert Park.

After helping Renault to launch their official yellow-gold hue on Wednesday evening, and having taken part in a clever launch movie in Sydney in which she sat in a Renault Formula One showcar which was perched atop a giant surfboard propelled by drivers Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer, Australian pro surfer Ellie-Jean Coffey gave her take on the sport.

“The guys who criticise Lewis Hamilton are living in a bubble,” she declared during a discussion about the world champion’s recent antics on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in Los Angeles and a controversial trip to New Zealand which he described on social media.

“Lewis Hamilton is a rock star,” Coffey added. “I was never interested in F1 until now, but I knew about it because of him. Formula One is just concerned with its own bubble, but people need to realise that Lewis is active in so many walks of life – fashion shows, music, race driving. The sport has a closeted view of things. He’s the leading personality and he attracts other people to the sport.”

Maverick Englishman James Hunt is revered as a personality today, but it makes you think that, had there been social media back in the Seventies, critics would have torn him to pieces.

The subject was raised again in the press conference, when Hamilton amiably admitted that he did not have “much of an answer” for his recent behaviour, but Daniel Ricciardo enlivened things with his gentle ribbing of his former team-mate Sebastian Vettel, a recluse when it comes to self-promotion.

Jokingly referring to his naming of his Ferrari SF16-H as Margherita and its association with pizzas, the German happily admitted to being a tyro in that respect.

“Up to now I have not understood modern technology fully, but I’m sure Lewis could give me some classes. But I’m not really interested. We are all different. Some people like their pizza plain, like margherita, or some like it with stuff on top of it.”

Sebastian Vettel says his Ferrari team will ‘try to be a lot closer’ to Mercedes (AFP/Getty)

Asked about Australian champion Alan Jones’ wish to see him back alongside Vettel next year, Ricciardo responded: “I’m not sure Seb would like that,” referring to the fact that he trounced the quadruple champion in 2014. “But I’d be happy with it. So long as he joins social media…”

It is far from doom and gloom atAlbert Park, with the return of heavy-hitting Renault, Aston Martin announcing a technical alliance with Red Bull and the organisers expecting a decent crowd and reporting increased corporate sales.

Of course, the big question is whether Ferrari have done enough over the winter to get on terms with Mercedes and turn the sport into the four-horse race it needs to be in order to pacify those who see a Hamilton versus Rosberg scenario as boring.

As usual, Vettel played down expectations of Ferrari, beyond admitting: “There is no big secret, we know we are still a little bit behind Mercedes, but we try to be a lot closer this year. I don’t have an answer yet, but we have a plan and we know where we want to go.”

Hamilton said that his Mercedes W07 Hybrid is already better than the car in which he dominated last year, but added: “This year the whole pack looks a bit closer, but I think Ferrari have something up their sleeve this weekend. They come here on a low profile, but they have upgrades and I think they will deliver high.”