FORMULA 1 : MERCEDES 1-2 IN AUSTRALIA!

No words. Mad Mike, New Zealand, stay strong. The lessons were learnt eons ago. No one knows the true pace of a team during testing unless you are a component of the fabric of the team.

You would be quite foolish if you allowed media speculation and on-track activities to lead you along a path of misinformation. In the build-up to the Australian GP, we were led to believe that Ferrari was the fastest thing to hit planet Earth since Usain parked his Puma running gear!

I was not impressed. I suggested it then and in Qualifying at the Australian GP, a minute window , exposing some elements of the truth, was left open.

Lewis Hamilton, like Usain Bolt, is a phenom. Both accomplished gentlemen were seen recently, enjoying life in an AMG machine.

They are speed- brothers who are quite competent at delivering their best when the stage is the largest!

If we were simpletons, we would have swallowed the pill. But we are not. We were willing to wait.

We now know that Mercedes AMG has lost nothing, in terms of pace, when compared to Ferrari!

Not only is the Mercedes AMG machine in rapid fettle, the drivers are also attired in similar trim!

At Qualifying for the Australian GP, Lewis Hamilton and his team-mate, reliable Bottas, sealed the front row, locked it and kept the key!

Vettel and Ferrari were served their first slice of humble pie! Leclerc did not make a fool of himself at his first dance. He was upstaged though by Verstappen who slipped into P4, Leclerc – P5.

Qualifying, is obviously not the race and as such the Australian GP will give us the first opportunity to see real race pace.

Mercedes AMG has spoken with a stern, confident voice. How will Vettel respond? What should we expect from Verstappen? Are games still being played?

Will Lewis have a winning start to his 2019 campaign? Will Bottas silence his critics? Can a dark horse stun the grid?

The Australian GP will answer in a matter of hours!

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer.