Valtteri Bottas upstaged his Mercedes world champion team-mate Lewis Hamilton and clinched the season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday.
Starting second behind pole-sitter Hamilton, Bottas got the jump on the Briton during a typically messy start at Albert Park and ended up cruising to his fourth win by some 20.80 seconds after delaying a tyre-change.
A dominant fourth career victory, and the fastest lap of the race 💪@ValtteriBottas claimed a maximum 2⃣6⃣ points down under!#AusGP 🇦🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/GOLN8UfwHo
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 17, 2019
Red Bull’s precocious Max Verstappen came third to join them on the podium after audaciously overtaking Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel midway through the race.
Four-time world champion Vettel had to settle for fourth, trailing in 57.1 seconds behind Bottas. Ferrari partner Charles Leclerc was fifth, with Kevin Magnussen in a Haas sixth.
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“I don’t know what just happened. The start was really good, it was definitely my best race ever,” said the Finn.
Your full race classification from the season-opener 👇
Best-ever finish for Leclerc, solid points for Magnussen & Stroll 👏
Kvyat holds off Gasly for the final point 😅#AusGP 🇦🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/pVSiCkUhhw
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 17, 2019
McLaren driver Carlos Sainz also retired after easing into pit lane on the 11th lap with his car on fire.