An outpouring of extensive apologies has been heaped placatingly on bitterly disappointed Lewis Hamilton’s shoulders after his Mercedes team’s abject blunders that gifted a victory to main rival Sebastian Vettel in the Formula One season opener in Australia.

Hamilton’s post race rage reddened the faces of the embarrassed back-room boys and triggered a welter of explanations for their errors which left Hamilton stranded in the pit lane and enabled Vettel’s Ferrari to roar ahead of the odds-on favourite and race leader.

The exact depth of the team’s upset and Hamilton’s innermost anger have been a top secret matter as the issues, aiming for resolution without a repeat of the Melbourne misjudgements, were worked upon at the Mercedes HQ in the UK right up to departure for the after-dusk Bahrain challenge.

And it was typical of team principal Toto Wolff, equally as angered as his star driver, to ensure the outside world and Mercedes fan base is aware of his concerns with a vow that it will never happen again to hamper Hamilton’s effort to claim a fifth world crown.

His was a characteristically diplomatic explanation, as honest as can be, giving an insight into the manner in which a team’s guiding light and spokesman should react without hiding from the responsibility.

He looks back on the Melbourne mess-up and confesses: “We made mistakes that meant we did not perform to our maximum.” He can say that again!

His underlining pause for effect was brief before he carried on: “We suspected the season would be a close competition and the first race confirmed our suspicions.

“Our mistakes reminded us that this is the toughest racing series in the world, where every error is punished. It hurts to leave all those championship points on the table, especially because we know we had the pace and reliability to win the Australian Grand Prix and take an early lead in the championship.

“Back at base we did what we always do after we have experienced a tough weekend. We made sure that we understand and appreciate what went wrong and guarantee to put a process in place to ensure that we do not suffer a similar and crucial setback in the future.

“Mistakes like ours leave painful moments and memories — but they are real learning experiences — mistakes which become training.

“We expect Bahrain to be another challenging weekend and we have to make sure that we understand what went wrong last time out and put a process in place to ensure that we do not make a similar issue ever again.

“The race in Bahrain’s desert is tricky because conditions change dramatically between sessions. Free Practice one and free Practice three all take place in the heat of the day, whereas both Qualifying and the race itself go on after sunset when it is much cooler. That makes it extremely difficult to find the right set-up for our car.”

There will be 57 laps of the 3.36-mile International Circuit with its 15 turns, a total race distance of 191.53 miles, and Wolff, mindful of the Ferrari/Vettel threat, reveals: “It is a power sensitive circuit with long straights. We saw in Melbourne that the Ferraris in particular were very, very quick. So I expect a really close contest. Great for the spectators but hard work and a concern for the teams.

“We have seen some spectacular and thrilling racing in Bahrain in recent seasons, particularly between our own drivers back in 2016, a tremendous race, so I believe we can look forward to an exciting and competitive weekend.”

Hamilton, twice a winner in Bahrain on his a career total of 62 Grand Prix wins and 73 pole placings, in a forgiving mood said: “We made errors in Melbourne and Ferrari did a better job than us but that’s behind us now. I know the team will give me a car to go for it — and that’s my plan as part of my dream to be champion again this year.”

Vettel, with a career tally of 48 triumphs and 100 podiums, is as fired up as Hamilton to follow-up his 2017 Bahrain victory with another first place, forecast: “It is going to be tough and I am well aware Lewis will be doing his best to make up for what went wrong in Australia. But I’m ready, willing and more than able to do the job — and be a winner again — in Bahrain.”