He may have been touted by many as the favorite for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, but Lewis Hamilton’s race weekend got off to a disastrous start as his Mercedes W05 car ground to a halt after just five minutes of practice.

The Briton, who enjoyed a fine testing period ahead of the race weekend, was one of the first drivers to exit the pits at the start of the session. A new rule for 2014 sees drivers given a bonus set of tires that can only be used during the first 30 minutes of the session, meaning that many took advantage of this to get out early and post a lap time.

However, whilst completing his installation lap, Hamilton’s car came to a halt because of an oil pressure sensor problem. He was forced to stop his car on the exit of turn ten, bringing out waved yellow flags and requiring a crane to carry the Mercedes away.

Although the team did make efforts to get the car back to the pits, Hamilton eventually changed out of his race suit and was forced to sit out for the remainder of the session.

Interestingly, when walking back to the pits, Hamilton kept his helmet on and refused to talk to the media. However, a security official tried to get the driver to present his paddock pass, but he was quickly brushed aside.

Hamilton will be hoping to make up for lost time during the second free practice session, which is live on NBCSN and Live Extra from 1:30am ET.

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