A disappointed Lewis Hamilton said Sunday his Australian Grand Prix was “done and dusted” by the first corner as he was left searching answers after failing to match the pace of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
The five-time world champion started from pole at the season-opening race but was pipped at turn 1 by the Finn and was never in contention as he quickly pulled away to beat the Briton by almost 21 seconds.
To rub salt in his wounds, Bottas also picked up an extra point for the fastest lap.
Hamilton, who was quickest in all three practice sessions and during qualifying, was gracious in defeat, but also struggling to know what went wrong.
“I had a pretty straightforward race today; I lost position at the start and my race was pretty much done and dusted after the first corner,” he said.
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“Afterwards it was really about bringing the car home and bagging the points.
“I had to pit early to cover the pit…
