MIND THE GAP

Hamilton may have finished only 0.17secs later.. but he's still a long, long way behind Verstappen as he struggles in a car he says: "I don't feel connected to"

- SIMON CASS

AFTER achaotic Australian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen’s margin of victory over Lewis Hamilton stood at less than two tenths of a second.

But had it not been for Kevin Magnussen clouting the concrete in his Haas to halt the race for a second time, Verstappen could have been showered and changed by the time Hamilton crossed the line.

Maybe a little exaggeration, but despite Mercedes showing signs of life at Albert Park, Hamilton was under no illusions that closing the gap to Red Bull this season is likely to remain a bridge too far, even if they have managed to get on a par with Ferrari and Aston Martin.

Not that Hamilton was downhearted after taking his first podium of the season, having kept third-placed Fernando Alonso at bay in his Aston.