Like his teammate, the seven-time world champion made a brilliant start off the line, picking off several cars and moving up to third during the opening phase of the race.

The flurry of VSC periods later dropped him back to fourth, but he produced a strong stint in the closing stages and came very close to the Monegasque - which would have earned him the first podium of his Ferrari stint.

Speaking to GPblog and other media after the race, the Brit immediately dismissed any talk of mixed emotions over missing out on the podium, instead striking a very positive tone.

He finally added:"A couple more laps and I would have had Charles, so that's positive. I know in the next race where we need to pick up and improve on. And I know that we could be fighting for podiums going forwards."

The seven-time world champion certainly emerged as one of the positives of the Australian weekend, with Hamilton looking far more rejuvenated after a difficult campaign last year, in which he had struggled to match his teammate.

His teammate Charles Leclerc also earns a pass, thanks to a lightning start that saw him seize the lead into Turn 1, setting up a thrilling battle with Russell for the win that lasted for roughly a third of the race.