Lewis Hamilton insists he's going to relish going up against Ferrari this year in what looks to be a fairly evenly matched fight between Mercedes and the Italian team, following Sebastian Vettel's victory in Australia at the weekend.
Hamilton qualified on pole by just 0.268s from Vettel in second and managed to get a good start to keep the lead at Turn 1, however the Briton couldn't shake Vettel off, with the German remaining within a second for 18 laps until Hamilton pitted.
That was the decisive moment as Hamilton came out behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen and was unable to pass for six laps, which allowed Vettel to open up a gap and steal the lead, where he remained until the checkered flag.
Hamilton says the result is evidence that the two cars have similar performance and is therefore expecting "an actual race" to the championship this season.
"We are similar pace-wise, so it's going to be a very hard slog," he said after the race. "This year you are seeing the best against the best with the best drivers at the top."
When asked if he faced a tougher challenge than 2016 against team-mate and eventual champion Nico Rosberg, Hamilton replied: "Definitely. I am really grateful to have that fight with him [Vettel], against Ferrari, which is the next best team.
"Finally we can have an actual race. It is going to be close. I truly believe we can beat them. It's great to see Ferrari there."
Vettel added: "I have great respect for Lewis. He has proved to be be one of the quickest drivers on the grid and l would love to have a close battle."
