Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he was pleasantly surprised by the speed of his McLaren car in the final round of Australian Grand Prix qualifying.

The Briton claimed pole position ahead of teammate Jenson Button for the opening race of the season in Melbourne.

After a disappointing 2011 campaign, Hamilton is delighted to have started this term so brightly but has confessed his surprise at the pace of his car.

"I always thought the Lotus was going to be very quick this weekend, which they are, but I'm surprised we're so fast," he said.

"I knew we were going to be competitive this weekend but I didn't really know what to expect in terms of how close people would be.

"It's an incredible feeling to be back up here, mine and Jenson's first one-two [on the grid for McLaren]."

However rather than sit on his laurels, the former champion has turned his attention to Sunday's race, which he believes will be a demanding challenge.

"The race is now going to be incredibly tough and very intense, but the team now need to be on point, as do Jenson and I," he said.

"Sunday is the most important day, but there's a lot to look forward to."

Hamilton will be looking to improve on his 5th-place finish in last year's drivers' standings.