Lewis Hamilton was delighted to pick up where he left off in 2014 with victory at the opening race of the 2015 season in Australia on Sunday.
The British driver went wire-to-wire at Albert Park to clinch his second win down under, marking his seventh win in the last eight races.
Speaking to guest interviewer Arnold Schwarzenegger on the podium, Hamilton was delighted to celebrate the race win, and thanked the Mercedes team for once again producing a dominant car in 2015.
“It’s a real pleasure to be here, Hamilton said. “We had the greatest fans here today. Thank you so much for all coming out.
“The team did an amazing job today. It’s an incredible feeling to continue on from last year… but also to be up here with you man! I thought you were taller! I thought you were taller in Terminator!”
In the sister Mercedes car, Nico Rosberg echoed his teammate’s words and thanked the team for its hard work over the winter after he completed a one-two on Sunday.
“It’s a nice feeling to be second today because it’s an awesome start to the season for us as a team,” Rosberg said. “Absolutely stunning car they’ve given us. Unbelievable.
“Lewis has done a fantastic job this weekend. He drove like a world champion all weekend. I couldn’t quite beat him, but I was trying every single lap all the way to the maximum, and I will do all year. I’ll give him a big run for his money.”
It may be early days, but judging by Mercedes’ form in Australia, it will take a remarkable effort from the chasing pack to get close to the German team this year. The momentum unquestionably lies with Hamilton at the moment, but Rosberg will be hoping to hit back at the next race in Malaysia in two weeks’ time.