Ferrari still unsure of true pace compared to Mercedes

It’s only the first race of the season, so we can’t get too excited yet, but early signs are that Ferrari could be ready to give Mercedes some stiff competition this time around.

On the front row next to pole-sitter Hamilton, Vettel got off to a sluggish start and his British rival broke clear to avoid Albert Park’s usual messy log-jam at turn one.

Bottas dropped back in the first stint, but caught up with Hamilton in the closing laps. “I struggled quite a lot with ultrasoft, felt I was sliding around, missing front grip and rear grip, especially after ten laps – that wasn’t easy”. Vettel followed with Bottas in tow until Hamilton tried to get the undercut on Vettel and pitted from the lead on Lap 18.

Vettel ramped up the pressure as the first round of pit stops neared, cutting the gap to Hamilton to less than one second. “He was relatively close”, Hamilton said. “This is for all of you”.

Even as the Briton began struggling to keep the life in his tyres, Vettel remained comfortably in pursuit despite his own tyres taking more punishment from running so close to Hamilton.

“It was what we needed”, said Vettel on the podium. The whole team has been working really, really hard. “The car’s been behaving well, and it’s incredible fun to drive”.

That triumph was also the last time Ferrari had topped the podium, but Vettel’s victory underlined the huge leap in performance made by the glamor team, whose cars showed impressive pace and reliability in winter testing. “But, honestly, I can’t tell you which was the quicker auto today, because I don’t think either of them saw the opportunity to really pile on the pressure”.

“I have and I am going to continue to work because there is going to be some really tough races this year”.

“A big congratulations to Sebastian and Ferrari“, Hamilton said.

“I am concerned because we have very, very strict processes that for 21 races have worked beautifully, so something went amiss”, said Westacott. I just ran out of grip.

“They [Ferrari] have done a great job and Sebastian is a deserving race victor”.

Four-time champion Vettel holds the early advantage after a resurgent Ferrari delivered on their pre-season form to beat Hamilton’s Mercedes and win the opening race of the new season in Australia on Sunday.

“For three years Mercedes have enjoyed a stranglehold over this sport, but Ferrari wrenched it away with a display of exceptional pace and cunning”, says Oliver Brown of the Daily Telegraph. They are two of their generation’s brightest talents and will push each other in every race until the final chequered flag of the season.