Lewis Hamilton out of Australian GP as second driver retires after

Lewis Hamilton suffered an engine failure on lap 17 of the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, following in the footsteps of former arch-rival Max Verstappen, who retired on lap four.

The seven-time world champion was running just outside of the points behind the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll after the first round of pit stops, but his afternoon was cut short just 17 laps into the race

Hamilton had complained ahead of the weekend that Verstappen was already 43 points ahead of him in the Drivers’ Championship standings and that any hopes of a championship tilt were over.

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Then, when Verstappen’s engine blew out on lap four, Mercedes were handed a golden opportunity to make significant inroads on their long-time rivals Red Bull.

However, with Hamilton out of the race before the halfway mark and George Russell struggling to make an impression on the superior Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren cars, the Silver Arrows were not in position to seize this opportunity.