Nico Rosberg has taken his fourth successive race victory at the season opening Australian Grand Prix. The race was interrupted throughout but accidents from the start.
Rosberg managed to jump his team-mate Lewis Hamilton when the race was red flagged after a huge crash for Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard crashed with Esteban Gutierrez leaving his car shattered in pieces after hitting the back wheel of the Haas car which sent him flying off.
The stewards decided that neither driver was responsible calling it was a racing incident.
Rosberg said “The strategy was crucial today. So I’m really thankful. The team did a great job on that side as well. We are really strong in strategy amongst other things. I don’t want to single out one thing, we’re strong in nearly all areas but that did it today.”
Hamilton also lost out to Sebastian Vettel on the re-start as he chosen to use his super soft tyres. He ended up sixth at one point in the race but fort back against the Williams’ Felipe Massa and the two Toro Rossos of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.
Hamilton also had a scrap on the start with Verstappen losing ground and pieces of his front wing. Verstappen and Sainz were at logger heads after the team decided to bring Sainz in first. This lead to frustration in the closing stages when they made contact.
It was a better race for Haas’s other driver Romain Grosjean who finished an impressive sixth giving the team eight points on their debut. Daniel Riccardo finished fourth well ahead of the Williams of Valtteri Bottas.
Grosjean told Sky Sports “It feels like standing on the top step of the podium for us. It’s been an amazing race and an amazing weekend.”
Jolyon Palmer finished eleventh just outside the points for Renault with his team-mate Kevin Magnusson just behind. The Dane suffered a puncture on the opening lap but made it up when the race was red flagged and restarted.
Sergio Perez finished ahead of Jenson Button who looked good early on but dropped of in the race. Marcus Ericsson retired with transmission problems, while rookie Pascal Wehrlein was the last of the runners
RELATED
- Notebook – Saturday Australia
- AUSTRALIAN GP – Hamilton takes pole but calls for the abolition of the format
- AUSTRALIAN GP – Qualifying Result
- NOTEBOOK – Australia 2016 – Practice
- AUSTRALIAN GP – Hamilton fastest in P2 as Rosberg spins out
- AUSTRALIAN GP – Hamilton kicks starts 2016 with strong first practice
0 Comments