Rosberg advises Hamilton's rivals to 'pack up and go home!'

Nico Rosberg was absolutely flabbergasted by the performance of Lewis Hamilton in qualifying for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

The British driver left only crumbs to his closest rivals, beating them by a country mile with a pole lap in the Saturday afternoon session which even dropped the jaw of his former Mercedes team mate.

"I really think today was a Lewis Hamilton lap. He pulled it out of the bag in an unbelievably special way, nailed it 100 percent," the 2016 world champion told Sky Sports in Melbourne.

"When he’s in this form, everybody else might as well pack up and go because there’s no-one who’s going to beat him."

Blistering pole lap down to Hamilton, not car - Wolff

Beyond the outstanding speed and performance, Rosberg admitted the effort was simply a pleasure to watch.

"That looked extremely special. It was great to watch, I have massive respect," said the German.

"It’s one of those laps where he has again shown why statistically also he’s one of the greatest ever in our sport. It was just very impressive.

"There’s times when you’re just there and shaking your head, you think ‘how does he do that?

"You’ve just got to pull it out of the bag and try harder and sometimes also accept that there can be bad days."

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Speaking of bad days, Rosberg said he had nothing but sympathy for Valtteri Bottas after the Finn wiped out in Q3 following a mistake which will have him chasing from behind tomorrow.

"I really felt for him," Rosberg said.

"It’s one of those really horrible moments when you’re out there, middle of the track, all the cameras are on you, the car is in bits and pieces, your whole weekend is gone because unless something miraculous happens tomorrow his chances are very, very slim for anything.

"It’s not good for his self confidence. And self confidence is so important for us drivers... you want to start the season in a good way. And to start the season like that is tough."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.