Despite a rough start for last year’s World Constructors’ Champions, Mercedes was able to bring both of their cars to the end to get their first 1-2 finish of 2016. Nico Rosberg led Lewis Hamilton across the line, but it has been revealed that Rosberg was almost forced to retire from the race.
Both Mercedes cars were slow off of the grid, allowing Sebastian Vettel to sneak through the middle and Kimi Räikkönen in turn one. The cause of the slow getaway may have been because of the new clutch system in the 2016 Formula One gearbox, but Hamilton complained of a lot of wheel spin at the start. There was minor contact between the Mercedes teammates in turn one, causing the duo to fall back further and allowing Ferrari to create a sizable gap. Mercedes spent the race trying to catch Ferrari, fairly unsuccessfully, until the red flag on lap 17.
Tyre strategy played into the hand of the Silver Arrows for the opening round of the season, as the team opted to switch to an endurance strategy during the red flag period, hoping to outlast the tyre life of the Ferrari. The competition for Mercedes was cut in half when Räikkönen parked his flaming car in the pit lane shortly after the race resumed.
Despite eventually taking the lead from Vettel, it was not all smooth sailing for Rosberg. “We did the maths and opted to go with one set of mediums to the end, with the drivers on the knife edge of endurance and performance,” insists Toto Wolff, the Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. “Managing tyres and temperatures became a big challenge, with debris causing an overheating brake caliper that almost forced us to retire Nico at one stage.”
Fortunately for Mercedes, Nico Rosberg averted disaster and managed to avoid overheating the brakes. This led to Rosberg eventually taking victory, while Hamilton narrowly won the race against Vettel. It was a close pursuit between the reigning World Champion and the Ferrari driver, which showed the true pace of the Ferrari.
Nico Rosberg is aware of the situation with Ferrari and how close they are to matching Mercedes’ pace: “We can enjoy this moment for sure – but we know now just how strong those red cars will be this season, so we cannot afford to relax.”
Weekend Summary: 2016 Australian Grand Prix
Wolff: New qualifying format is “pretty rubbish”
Rosberg Ends Friday With A Spin
Mercedes Teammates Free To Race
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