Three-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda has hailed Lewis Hamilton's "outstanding" current form.

The 29-year-old Mercedes driver won the Chinese Grand Prix at the weekend to record his third win in succession this season.

"Lewis was outstanding. A good start and off he went," Lauda is quoted as saying by Sporting Life. "His outstanding performance in the wet [in qualifying] made the win happen.

"Nico [Rosberg] screwed up in the wet, which is why he was where he was at the start and he could not win any more. I have to say the way Lewis is driving, from the first race until now, for me is outstanding. The guy makes no mistakes.

"He is absolutely on top of everything, he understands the car, which is complicated, more complicated than in the past, he understands the tyres and drives in the absolutely perfect way on the edge. He is on a high like I have never seen from him before."

The F1 season resumes on May 11 with the Spanish Grand Prix.