<p>Red Bull ace Max Verstappen might have dominated a wild <strong><a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/fernando-alonso-fastest-in-wet-2nd-practice-23278471" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Australian Grand Prix</a></strong>, but Mercedes were also a big winner with the &ldquo;Silver Arrows&rdquo; finally starting to look competitive.</p>
<h2>Poor Bahrain GP</h2>
<p>After the season-opening Grand Prix in Bahrain, team boss Toto Wolff declared they had &ldquo;one of their worst days&rdquo; in racing, with Lewis Hamilton complaining of becoming &ldquo;the fourth-fastest team.&rdquo;</p>
<p><img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2023/apr/Lewis-Hamilton-uj_e.jpg" alt="The British driver waves to the crowd after finishing second. Pics/AFP, Getty Images" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>The British driver waves to the crowd after finishing second. Pics/AFP, Getty Images</em></strong></p>
<p>It followed a lacklustre 2022 when the eight-time constructors champions were dethroned by Red Bull. But they made strides in Saudi Arabia and are now singing a different tune after seven-time world champion Hamilton came second to pole-sitter <strong><a href="https://www.mid-day.com/amp/sports/other-sports/article/max-verstappen-takes-pole-in-australia-23278661" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Verstappen</a></strong>, at one stage briefly leading the action-packed race. His teammate George Russell was also lightning-quick and in the hunt before a power unit failure ended his day on lap 17.&nbsp;It followed a stirring qualifying session that saw both Mercedes outpace Fernando Alonso in his rejuvenated Aston Martin and the struggling Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/verstappen-veers-to-victory-23278832" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Verstappen veers to victory</a></strong></p>
<h2>&lsquo;It&rsquo;s amazing for us&rsquo;</h2>
<p>&ldquo;Considering we&rsquo;re down on performance, to be fighting with the Aston Martins is amazing for us at this point in the season,&rdquo; said Hamilton after holding off Alonso, and overcoming battles with safety cars and three red flags. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got to keep fighting. A big thank you to all the people back at the factory.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever</em></span></p><p>
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Mercedes driver Hamilton confident of closing gap with  leaders Red Bull after finishing second at Australian GP

Ham and Merc make their mark

Poor Bahrain GP

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