The seven-time world champion made the most of Ferrari’s expected advantage off the line, launching from seventh to third by Turn 1, and despite losing some momentum, a couple of laps later, he ended behind the leading duo of Leclerc and Russell as the pair battled it out during the first stint of the race.

The sequence of VSC periods ultimately worked against him, costing him a position, but the final stint showed a Hamilton who was even quicker than the Monegasque on race pace, piling real pressure on him in the fight for the podium over the closing laps.

BBC highlighted a finally resurgent Hamilton after the struggles of his first season with Ferrari, noting that although he finished the race behind Leclerc, his performance in Melbourne was still a noteworthy one.

The Guardian also highlighted the clear shift in the seven-time world champion, both in his approach on track and in his attitude in front of the microphones.

The Telegraph devoted a lengthy piece entirely to the Briton, highlighting how he was quicker than his teammate in the final stint - something that rarely happened last year.

“Another boon is Hamilton’s performance. He was as close as he has ever been to a grand-prix podium with the Scuderia in 25 attempts and he believed he would have passed Leclerc, for third, with another five laps. Looking at the data, he may not have needed even that long.”