SEBASTIAN Vettel has laid down the championship gauntlet to Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team after leading a Ferrari one-two in practice for the Russian Grand Prix.

Vettel, the 29-year-old German, arrived at the Sochi Autodrom in charge of his heavyweight title battle with Hamilton by virtue of winning two of the three races staged so far this season.

And the four-time champion, and his resurgent Ferrari, team stamped their authority on proceedings by completing a practice double yesterday.

First Kimi Raikkonen went fastest in the morning session before Vettel led the way in the day’s second running at a sun-bathed Sochi.

The Ferrari driver, who heads Hamilton by seven points, posted a fastest lap of one minute and 34.120 at this 3.1-mile circuit to finish ahead of Raikkonen, while Hamilton was only fourth.

Hamilton, meanwhile, has admitted that he is saddened by the demise of his former team McLaren following their torrid start to the new season.

McLaren have a glittering motor racing heritage in which they have won a combined 20 drivers’ and constructors’ championships. But they have not toasted a victory since Jenson Button’s triumph at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix nearly five years ago – a losing streak which, barring a minor miracle, will tick over to 82 races tomorrow.

McLaren’s relationship with their beleaguered engine supplier Honda only shows signs of deteriorating – indeed Stoffel Vandoorne has been hit by a 15-place grid penalty for already exceeding his allocated number of engine parts for the year – while Fernando Alonso failed to reach the chequered flag at each of the opening three rounds.

Hamilton, 32, began his career at McLaren and won the championship in his second season with the British team after missing out by a single point in his rookie campaign. He spent six seasons there before he moved to Mercedes in 2013.

Ron Dennis, McLaren’s long-standing chairman was ousted last year, to be replaced by the untested American Zak Brown, while Martin Whitmarsh was bumped out in favour of Frenchman Eric Boullier almost three years ago.

“They have a place in my heart because I was with them for so long,” Hamilton said. “It is definitely sad to see such a great team not be at the top.

“They have had changes in management and all sorts of things, but I think the most important thing for me is that McLaren don’t lose the core heart and soul of what the team is all about.

“They are now trying to make the steps and decisions and move the team in the right direction and I really hope they find their way back to fighting at the front because it would be great.”

Alonso, 35, won the last of his two championships with Renault more than a decade ago. He is out of contract with McLaren at the end of the season, but a lack of vacancies elsewhere in the paddock could leave the Spaniard with little option than to extend his stay.

But even with a resurgent Ferrari back fighting for the championship Alonso insists he believes he made the right decision to quit the Italian team.

“In 20 years Ferrari will keep winning and hopefully they don’t ask if Alonso was right or not to leave Ferrari because I will be 75 years old,” Alonso joked.

“Of course we would like to be more competitive here that’s for sure, but I still think I took a good decision to come to McLaren.

“ I have learned many things, worked with one of the best engineers that I have ever worked with, and the quality of life has improved for me despite the results.”