'It's been intense, with a huge amount of work from everybody at the track and back home at the factories.'
The British driver has been the dominant force in recent times, winning five of the previous six titles, including in 2019 when he bettered legendary five-time Argentine champion Juan Manuel Fangio.
There were fears the Melbourne race may be ditched due to travel restrictions affecting team personnel, particularly from Italy-based Ferrari. So dominant were Mercedes in 2019 that Ferrari had to wait until the 13th race at Belgium in September for their first win, courtesy of new boy Charles Leclerc.
"We know that the opposition is strong, but we also know that it is the start of a long season where development rate, reliability, and our operational effectiveness will be key," he said.
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