A wet and windy Albert Park offered a daunting test for the six drivers starting a Formula One season for the first time at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday but Mercedes' teen talent Kimi Antonelli passed his exam with flying colours.

Mercedes made the call to replace Lewis Hamilton with young phenom Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and the 18-year-old dazzled in his debut, finishing fourth in challenging conditions after starting in P16. For a moment it looked as if Antonelli would be demoted to fifth due to a five-second penalty that was assessed for an unsafe release,

Kimi Antonelli's performance and Mercedes’ successful appeal saw him retain his fourth-place finish as the penalty was overturned.

An energised Lewis Hamilton is enjoying "the most exciting period" of his life as he adapts to his new team Ferrari and gears up for the challenge of winning a record eighth Formula One world championship with the Italian outfit.