Five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton picked up where he left off last season and was joined by teammate Valtteri Bottas as the Mercedes drivers posted the top times in practice at the Australian Grand Prix.

Robert Kubica had just tried to make light of his long and mentally taxing time out of Formula One in his typically self-effacing way when fellow driver Daniel Ricciardo took up the theme

The sudden death of race director Charlie Whiting set a somber tone for the first weekend of the F1 season, with the attention to the regular rivalries such as Hamilton vs. Vettel taking a back seat to tributes for a respected racing veteran.

The governing body for international auto racing says its Formula One director Charlie Whiting has died from a pulmonary embolism

Daniel Ricciardo's switch from Red Bull to Renault may have reduced his chances of a podium finish at the Australian Grand Prix, but isn't likely to diminish his support at the season-opening race

The Australian Grand Prix has taken its usual place at the top of the calendar for the 2019 Formula One season, with Melbourne to host the opening race on March 17 at Albert Park

Lewis Hamilton sounds unsure of just one thing: whether Ferrari can bounce back after he dealt another crushing blow to Sebastian Vettel's title hopes

In the sweltering heat of the Singapore Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton turned up the heat on Sebastian Vettel a notch further

Asked what Mercedes is doing better than his Ferrari team, Sebastian Vettel chose not to go into detail

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton found his speed when it counted to take pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, while title rival Sebastian Vettel could not match his rival's superior ability to perform under pressure