Formula One: Hamilton begins in style

Lewis Hamilton held off teammate Nico Rosberg to give Mercedes a dominant victory as the season-opening Australian Grand Prix was hit by a series of withdrawals on Sunday.

Reigning world champion Hamilton led from the start to the chequered flag, beating last year’s winner Rosberg by 1.3 seconds, with Sebastien Vettel third in his Ferrari debut.

Only 11 cars finished the race after mechanical problems and an injury to Valtteri Bottas left just 15 on the starting grid.

At the front, Mercedes were in ominous form with Hamilton finishing a whopping 34 seconds in front of Vettel, indicating a tough year ahead for the Silver Arrows’ rivals.

It was Mercedes’ eighth straight victory, dating back to Belgium last August, and their 20th race in a row with at least one Mercedes driver on the podium.

Hamilton, 30, has now won seven of the last eight races and 34 from 149 grands prix, although this was his first in Australia since 2008.

Four-time world champion Vettel yelled “Forza Ferrari!” as he celebrated a morale-boosting podium finish on his debut for the team after switching from Red Bull.

Vettel beat Williams’ Felipe Massa to take third place.