Reigning Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has declared Daniel Ricciardo and his Red Bull team favourites to take out the Australian Grand Prix.
Four-time world champion Hamilton is widely expected to be the pacesetter around the Albert Park circuit in his vaunted Mercedes Petronas car.
But Ricciardo and teammate Max Verstappen impressed in the team's new RB14 machine at recent testing at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.
Hamilton saw enough to convince him Ricciardo is well-placed to claim his first home Grand Prix.
"I think they're favourites, personally, not because it's Daniel and it's the Australian Grand Prix, but I think Red Bull are currently the team to look out for," Hamilton told AAP at Wednesday's Petronas Syntium product launch in Melbourne.
"They've done a great job.
"This is a high downforce circuit and they are renowned for having more downforce than everyone.
"When you come to another circuit where you don't need all that downforce that's sometimes where they perhaps struggle, but I think they will be very hard to beat this weekend."
Hamilton is delighted with the package Mercedes have put to together, but adds no one knows where they truly sit in the pecking order until the chequered flag comes out on Sunday.
Ricciardo is confident that Red Bull have closed the gap on Mercedes but still believes his team and Ferrari have the job ahead of them to edge in front.
Hamilton suggested other teams chasing the Silver Arrows labelled them favourites ahead of the season-opening race to ease the pressure on themselves.
"People put me out front because I'm No.1," he said.
"It doesn't matter what sport you're in ... Roger Federer will be (the one to beat) because he's No.1.
"It's a given."
Hamilton turned 33 in January and will start his 209th Grand Prix on Sunday.
But the veteran driver's ambition and burning desire to claim another world crown remain as strong as ever.
"I'm naturally competitive so that comes into it but I think it's about always wanting to grow," he said.
"I think the older you get you get a better understanding of how big a team you have and a better appreciation of the amount of effort that's gone in around you.
"It's not the same car as last year (either), it's a new machine that I've got to (master).
"There's only 20 of us in the world who are currently able to race Formula One and I'm at the forefront of that.
"It's pretty freaking neat."
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