Wolff: I’m really happy for Honda

Making the most of Honda power for the first time, Max Verstappen finished third, with second-placed Lewis Hamilton in his sights, albeit 22 seconds shy of winner Valtteri Bottas.

Although a largely unexpected result on the day, Verstappen showed a strong hand in qualifying to split the Ferrari duo and claim a spot on the second row and then in the race he appeared to be capable of harassing Hamilton's stricken Merc.

Speaking after his team's commanding win Down Under, Toto Wolff told the official F1 website, “Honda has certainly made a huge step forward."

"If you look at the speed trace it looks a very different Red Bull than before. They are very fast on the straights and that is good to see because we want them in the mix and to have a great fight."

With the prospect of another year of yawn-inducing Mercedes dominance, even Wolff is hoping for a scrap, “I’m really happy for Honda. It’s their first podium since their return [to F1 in 2015] and they deserve it. They went through some really tough times. Seeing the Honda on the podium and seeing how happy the guys are is great.”

Verstappen dispatched Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel for third position late in the race, powered away to chase Hamilton for second place, but the Dutchman ran out of laps.

Wolff added, “They were very strong. You saw how they have eaten up Sebastian into Turn 3, the power was enormous. The combination with Red Bull will become a threat. Based on the level of performance, you must certainly have them in the calculation for the championship.”

It is in the best interests of Mercedes to have a serious challenger in Formula 1 this year, their enormous and relentless success on track has not been universally celebrated. They are at the stage now that the more the Silver cars win without a real effort the less popular they become.