Triple Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton completed the equivalent of nearly 2-1/2 race distances on what he said ranked as his best ever start to pre-season testing yesterday.

The Mercedes driver completed a whopping 156 laps at the Circuit de Catalunya – where the Spanish Grand Prix lasts for 66 – to eclipse the mileage of all his rivals as the new cars hit the track for the first time.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who was fastest overall and 0.470 of a second quicker than the 31-year-old Briton, did 69 laps in total.

“Today is just a real show of just how amazing this team is,” Hamilton said.

“From as far as I can remember, and I’ve been driving a long time, I’m certain this is the most impressive first day I’ve had,” he added.

“If you look back at the first days I’ve had in 2013 and maybe 2014, I had those glitches with the brakes so it’s nice to have a clean day without any issues with the car. Really just go above and beyond.”

Hamilton, champion in 2014 and 2015 with Mercedes, had completed a race distance by lunchtime and told reporters anxious for first impressions that the car felt just like last year’s dominant one.

Valtteri Bottas was third quickest in a Mercedes-powered Williams in the morning but Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo ended the day in that position with the Finn fourth.

McLaren’s Jenson Button revived optimism at his Honda-powered team with 84 largely trouble-free laps in a refreshing change from a dismal 2015 when the former champions finished ninth out of 10.