F1:  5 Things We Learned From the Australian GP

Pre-race favourite George Russell put a marker down with a winning gap of close to three seconds over Kimi Antonelli.

Ferrari left Albert Park scratching its head after Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished third and fourth.

The Italian team failed to capitalise on the shorter pit stops during either of the Virtual Safety Car periods, opting for track position. However, it might not have made a difference as Mercedes’ pace was too strong for the scarlet team.

Here are five things we learned from race:

Close Racing and Lots of Overtakes

The opening 15 laps or so produced tantalising racing between Russell and Leclerc. They swapped positions on the same lap, as the drivers became accustomed to managing the electrical deployment from the batteries.

It might not have been the most efficient way to drive, but it surely was entertaining.

Did Ferrari Make Another Strategy Blunder?

The Ferraris made lightning starts to claim first and third positions. Leclerc and Russell duelled all the way to lap 12 when a Virtual Safety Car was called after Isack Hadjar stopped at the side of the track.

Ferrari says they stuck to their race plan by keeping the duo out. However, Hamilton immediately signaled that ‘ at least one’ of the drivers should have pitted. Ultimately, the team’s strategy was to expect the race to become more chaotic with more VSCs.

However, the gap between Mercedes and Ferrari showed the aforementioned team was far faster, and Ferrari’s decision wouldn’t have made a difference.

Disaster for Piastri at His Home Race

The Australian driver had qualified in P5 and was on his first reconnaissance lap to the grid when disaster struck.

“Disappointed. Today was not how we wanted to start the season. Unfortunately, a combination of factors, including cold tyres, being up on the kerb and then more power than I had in Quali in that corner, meant I spun,” the Australian said.

Racing Bulls’ Rookie Lindblad Scores Points

The only rookie on the grid, Arvid Lindblad, performed admirably to finish P8 in his debut F1 race. The Briton briefly held P4 as he made a brilliant start from P9.

Driver of the Day: Max Verstappen

The four-time world champion crashed in the qualifying on Saturday and started at the back of the grid. He ended up in P6 after a vintage performance, including brilliant overtakes.

“It was a decent comeback from P20 and we will work as a Team to close the gap further,” he said.