The 2016 Formula One season kicked off at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Mercedes and Ferrari were the main focus, as fans were eagerly waiting to see which team would take the early championship lead in 2016.
The first day of the season was soggy. Lap times were hindered by on and off rain and constantly changing track conditions. Many drivers found themselves in the gravel traps, due to the slippery track conditions. Lewis Hamilton topped free practice one, with Red Bull close behind, while Sebastian Vettel failed to set a time for the session. Hamilton was on top again for the second session, while his teammate, Nico Rosberg, spun off. Neither of the Williams or Renault drivers managed to set a time in the session, as did Max Verstappen. Sauber didn’t even make an appearance for the second practice session.
Saturday provided some proper dry running, which Mercedes topped on both occasions. Romain Grosjean lost some time in the garage after a pit lane collision with Rio Haryanto. Haryanto was found to be at fault and was handed a three place grid penalty, which meant he would start from the back of the grid. Sebastian Vettel was right behind the Mercedes teammates in both sessions. Toro Rosso set some good pace for the day and finished in the top half of the field, while Hamilton set the 50th pole position of his career.
Sunday was a great sign of things to come in the 2016 season. Mercedes made a poor start and allowed Ferrari to pass, as Daniil Kvyat suffers an electronic failure on the formation lap and fails to start the race. In the first corner, Hamilton made contact with his teammate, which damaged his front wing. The race drama was a massive collision between Fernando Alonso and Esteban Gutiérrez when Alonso overturned his car. The race was stopped, wiping all tyre strategies. Mercedes went for the endurance tyre strategy, while Ferrari went for the pace with the softer tyres. Kimi Räikkönen had an engine fire shortly after the restart and retired, while his teammate managed to challenge Mercedes up until he ran wide. Rosberg takes the victory, with Hamilton and Vettel behind. Romain Grosjean gets points for Haas on their Formula One debut.
The teams’ next destination is the Bahrain International Circuit for the twelfth running of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The action will take place under the lights on the weekend of April 3.
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