Mercedes AMG started off the 2019 Formula One season in dominant fashion, as Valtteri Bottas broke his drought of victories going back to 2017 by winning the Australian Grand Prix.
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After all the testing and all the practice, the time has come at last for the opening race of the 2019 Formula One world championship and where better for a new year to launch, than with the Australian Grand Prix. Join The Roar for a live blog, starting from 4:10pm AEDT.
The 5.3km Albert Park semi-street circuit lends itself once again to the traditional season opener, with a 58-lap grand prix to have its usual late afternoon starting time.
Overtaking has traditionally been difficult here, though with a change in the front-wing regulations for 2019 making them less intricate, may aid the drivers in passing their rivals. As would the use of DRS in three different parts of the track.
Lewis Hamilton opened his pole positions account for 2019 by claiming his eighth pole at Albert Park and a sixth consecutive, which equals a record set by both Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.
Mercedes AMG locked out the front-row of the grid, with Valtteri Bottas achieving his best qualifying result in Melbourne.
The Finn expressed that he was ‘blown away’ by Hamilton’s performance in qualifying – though he would have an eye on breaking his drought of wins dating back to 2017.
“Tyres were no headache and we expect a straightforward race,” were Vettel’s remarks following qualifying in regards to strategy for the grand prix, which should be a two-stop affair.
Vettel starts the race third and is the reigning race victor, having won the Australian Grand Prix for the past two years running. A hattrick of wins may have to come through strategy once again.
On his Ferrari debut, Charles Leclerc will have to contend with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ahead from fifth on the grid. Red Bull has been better on the long runs throughout the weekend, speaking to the volumes of their new Honda power-unit’s reliability.
Renault and Daniel Ricciardo face an uphill battle to score points in the Aussie’s home race, starting from twelfth on the grid. Overtaking is the 29-year old’s forte and it will take some hustling to be able to pass the cars ahead.
Faster cars of Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz will also be seen coming through the field, following their shock Q1 eliminations. The Spaniard would have been ruing a missed opportunity in qualifying, given that his rookie teammate is eighth.
Mercedes AMG and Hamilton have looked ominous all weekend and are favourites for the race, though can someone else upset the world champion’s momentum?
Tune in on The Roar from 4:10pm AEDT for build up and live blog updates of the Australian Grand Prix, as we prepare to embrace Formula One for another exciting season.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
That then wraps up The Roar's live blog coverage of the Australian Grand Prix, for not only just the race but the entire weekend. Thanks for tuning in and it was a pleasure as always to be on the ground to cover this event. I shall be back in a fortnight's time for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Until then, good night!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
-------- DRIVER'S -------- 26 -- Valtteri Bottas 18 -- Lewis Hamilton 15 -- Max Verstappen 12 -- Sebastian Vettel 10 -- Charles Leclerc 8 --- Kevin Magnussen 6 --- Nico Hulkenberg 4 --- Kimi Räikkönen 2 --- Lance Stroll 1 --- Daniil Kvyat 0 --- Pierre Gasly 0 --- Lando Norris 0 --- Sergio Perez 0 --- Alexander Albon 0 --- Antonio Giovinazzi 0 --- George Russell 0 --- Robert Kubica 0 --- Romain Grosjean 0 --- Daniel Ricciardo 0 --- Carlos Sainz
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
----- CONSTRUCTOR'S ----- 44 -- Mercedes AMG 22 -- Scuderia Ferrari 15 -- Aston Martin Red Bull Racing 8 --- Haas Ferrari 6 --- Renault 4 --- Alfa Romeo Racing 2 --- Racing Point Mercedes 1 --- Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda 0 --- McLaren Renault 0 --- Williams Mercedes
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RACE REPORT Mercedes AMG started off the 2019 Formula One season in dominant fashion, as Valtteri Bottas broke his drought of victories going back to 2017, by winning the Australian Grand Prix. A lightening start saw Bottas take the lead going into the first corner from his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who started from pole position. From there the Finn controlled the race without trouble and was setting fastest lap after fastest lap - to also claim an extra point for that feat. Early pit-stops for Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel saw them fall away in the latter part of the race, especially Vettel who was left asking his team "why are we so slow?" The German crossed the line in fourth, just holding off his new teammate Charles Leclerc, who himself had a real scrappy race. Third went to Max Verstappen, who chased Hamilton hard going into the final part of the race and ultimately missed out on second by 1.6 seconds. Nevertheless, the podium would be a delightful result for the start of the new engine partnership between Red Bull and Honda - with the Japanese manufacturer returning to the rostrum for the first time since their return to the sport in 2015. Aussie hearts were broken on the first lap of the race, with Daniel Ricciardo ending up on the grass on the start/finish straight and collecting his own front-wing. He pitted for repairs, though ultimately the team decided to retire the car later in the race - leaving the home crowd a little hollow in Ricciardo's first race for Renault. Nico Hulkenberg in the meantime was able to hold off Kimi Räikkönen in the Alfa Romeo, to claim seventh for Renault and a bag of points. Not too far behind was Lance Stroll in eighth scoring on debut for Racing Point and then Daniil Kvyat, who sensationally held Red Bull's Pierre Gasly at bay and denied the Frenchman a point. Mixed fortunes for Haas, who again had pit-stop troubles for Romain Grosjean and ultimately a suspension fault which ended the Frenchman's race prematurely. Kevin Magnussen in the meantime finished a lonely sixth, to open the account for the American team. McLaren too had a mixed day, with Carlos Sainz the first retiree of the race with a suspected engine failure early in the race. Lando Norris who started from eighth, finished in twelfth and outside of the points - however did impress during his battle for position with Alfa Romeo rookie Antonio Giovinazzi.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RESULTS FROM THE 58-LAP AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 1 Valtteri Bottas 2 Lewis Hamilton 3 Max Verstappen 4 Sebastian Vettel 5 Charles Leclerc 6 Kevin Magnussen 7 Nico Hulkenberg 8 Kimi Räikkönen 9 Lance Stroll 10 Daniil Kvyat 11 Pierre Gasly 12 Lando Norris 13 Sergio Perez 14 Alexander Albon 15 Antonio Giovinazzi 16 George Russell 17 Robert Kubica DNF Romain Grosjean DNF Daniel Ricciardo DNF Carlos Sainz
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
VALTTERI BOTTAS WINS THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX! Mercedes AMG complete the one-two finish with Lewis Hamilton coming home in second and just barely holding off Max Verstappen, who scores the first podium finish for the Honda power-unit since their return to F1 in 2015.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 58/58: FINAL LAP Bottas takes back the fastest lap as he starts his final lap. Verstappen still behind Hamilton, as is Gasly behind Kvyat.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 57/58: 2 LAPS TO GO Verstappen really plugging in those fast sectors now. All or nothing! Gasly too really giving Kvyat a hard time in these final laps.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 56/58: Hamilton seems to edge himself ahead on the straights, but in the middle part of the lap Verstappen really closes the gap to the Mercedes.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 55/58: Verstappen sets the fastest lap of the race now and is back to being within 1.3 seconds of Hamilton. Hold onto something people, this isn't over yet!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 54/58: 5 LAPS TO GO Not long to go now and we've got a couple of spicy battles at the moment, with Räikkönen looking to have a go at Hulkenberg for P7 and Gasly still behind Kvyat and ultimately chasing a point for tenth.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 53/58: Leclerc is either holding station it seems or has backed off.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 52/58: A hilarious exchange between Bottas and his engineer, with the Finn asking about whether they should pit for fresh tyres and smash the fastest lap for that extra point. As it stands, Bottas still has the fastest lap anyway.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 51/58: We got a teammate battle on our hands now! Leclerc is right on the rear of Vettel, so lets see if the team let their drivers race now for fourth and fifth.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 50/58: BOT HAM VER VET LEC MAG HUL RÄI STR KVY GAS NOR PER ALB GIO RUS KUB is how things stands as we head into the last few laps of the race. Retired are Grosjean, Ricciardo and Sainz.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 49/58: Leclerc now closing into the DRS range of Vettel then. And an off at Turn 1 for Verstappen sees him lose a bunch of time to Hamilton. He responds by setting the fastest second sector of all.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 48/58: Gasly is still behind Kvyat remarkably, as the pair now actually hitch themselves behind Stroll in ninth. Can Kvyat this time find his way past the Canadian?
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 47/58: Leclerc starting to close up on Vettel now with the gap at only 3.5 seconds between fourth and fifth places. Bottas told on the radio "the only way we can lose this race now is not having rubber for a safety car."
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 46/58: As it stands though for Verstappen, he is on track for his first podium appearance in Australia and more importantly for the team - Honda's first podium since their return to F1 in 2015.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 45/58: Not much happening between Hamilton and Verstappen for now, with 1.4 seconds between the Mercedes AMG and the Red Bull. Does the Dutchman have anything in reserve to have a crack at second?