Australian Grand Prix: Red Frustration

Scene of the race: The fact that Formula 1 races are often decided at the start is a truism. It is still valid in the 70th season. Mercedes pilot Valtteri Bottas was, with a blink of an eye, a blink of an eye faster than his team-mate Lewis Hamilton when the green start-up lamp lit up in Melbourne's Albert Park, and he had already passed the World Champion before the first corner. The winner and the second were already determined.

Result of the race: Double victory for Mercedes. Valtteri Bottas celebrated his fourth Grand Prix success, defending champion Lewis Hamilton finished second. Max Verstappen secured his third podium place in the Red Bull. Only behind it came the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc to the finish. Renault driver Nico Hülkenberg was satisfied with seventh place.

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Start of the race: Bottas ahead of Hamilton, it was after the start phase in the first round - behind Sebastian Vettel could keep the striker and Dränger in the field, Max Verstappen, initially in check. First.

Course of the race: Mercedes sports chief Toto Wolff had said in advance that he would not mind if it would be "a boring race with a Mercedes winner at the end". His wish was fulfilled to his heart. The victory of the Finn was never endangered. Defending champion Lewis Hamilton was unlike Bottas early in the pit lane to change tires and could not grow in the end with his worn-out tires. Vettel also had problems with his car in the last third. He too was unable to really accelerate and had to pass by Verstappen.

Premiere of the race: A new season in Formula 1 always means innovations in technology. The cars will start this year with wider front wings. Daniel Ricciardo learned in his first race at Renault what that means for the start-up in the starting phase: his wing said goodbye in the first corner.

LAP 1/58

Bottas sprints straight past Hamilton into the lead! ⬆️

But it's a nightmare for Ricciardo, who loses his front wing # AusGP # F1 pic.twitter.com/gE73nLtpqj

Extra of the race: And something else: For the fastest lap of the race, the drivers now collect a special point. Of course, Bottas also got it. That could be important at the end of the year. At the end of the race, it made most drivers accelerate instead of switching to pure management mode.

Frustrated the race: In the test drives in Barcelona a few weeks ago, Ferrari had still clearly dominated the competition: Sebastian Vettel and his new teammate Charles Leclerc had by far the fastest cars. Everyone anticipated that the Reds would be at the start of the season, especially since the course in Australia is one of the favorite tracks of the German. Already in qualifying, however, a different picture emerged: Mercedes is already back in World Champion mode.

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Comeback of the race: Much has been written about the return of Robert Kubica before this season. Also on how sensible it is, after his serious accident, after his operations with the handicap of his not quite established right hand again in a hopelessly inferior Formula 1 car to rise. His first race was sporty conceivable unremarkable: The Pole was with his last Williams. But he is back.

Quotation of the race: "Why am I just so slow?" Sebastian Vettel asked himself and the team via radio. Both did not have an answer.

Series of the race: Lewis Hamilton was in pole position for the eighth time in qualifying after qualifying. However, the World Champion won at Albert Park only twice. Melbourne is not his city. And a second place is not his claim.

Celebrity of the race: World champion Sir Bob Geldof was the zaungast in Albert Park in the VIP box. The Band Aid organizer was likely to see for itself the fierce success of Formula One in poverty reduction, climate change and human rights. Incidentally, the next Formula One races are in Bahrain, Shanghai and Baku.

Recognition of the race: Many new cockpits, technical changes, extra points - and in the end the shirts of RTL man Kai Ebel are again colorful, and Mercedes is in front. The spectacle has hopefully saved Formula One for the later races.