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Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
Kimi Raikkonen stole the limelight from Ferrari giant Fernando Alonso. The Finn essayed an epic victory at the Australia Grand Prix.
Raikkonen proved he and Lotus have plenty to look forward to this season.
-Raikkonen wins season-opening Australian Grand Prix
-Raikkonen win delivers dream start for Lotus
Let's take a look how the teams fared.
Below is the team by team analysis of Sunday's Australian Formula One Grand Prix (listed in championship order):
Ferrari (Fernando Alonso 2, Felipe Massa 4)
Alonso started the season on the podium, a big improvement on last year where he finished fifth. Both drivers made three stops, starting on super-softs. Massa continued the resurgence he showed at the end of last year and might have got on the podium too had he brought forward his second stop.
Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
Lotus (Kimi Raikkonen 1, Romain Grosjean 10)
Raikkonen's 20th career win, equalling compatriot Mika Hakkinen's tally, and second of his comeback. His first in a season-opener since 2007, when he took his title with Ferrari.
The first win in an opener by a team called Lotus since 1978, when Mario Andretti won in Argentina. Raikkonen made just two stops and said it was probably one of his easiest wins. Grosjean said something felt wrong with his car.
Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
Red Bull (Sebastian Vettel 3, Mark Webber 6)
Triple champion Vettel started on pole but the car proved too aggressive on the tyres during the race.
Webber started alongside on the front row but car-to-pit telemetry problems on the grid and an ECU-related KERS failure meant he was on the back-foot right away. The Australian also had a slow pitstop due to a front jack failure.
Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
Mercedes (Lewis Hamilton 5, Nico Rosberg retired)
Hamilton started third but could not hold on that placing, slipping back down the order and fighting a good battle with Force India's Sutil.
Still a promising Mercedes race debut for the 2008 champion, who made three stops. Rosberg retired with an electrical problem on lap 27 while in third place. He had been on a two-stop strategy.
Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
Force India (Adrian Sutil 7, Paul Di Resta 8)
Sutil grabbed his second chance with both hands in his comeback race after a year away, leading the race on two occasions.
He started on the medium tyres and a two-stop strategy. Di Resta lost time behind three-stoppers at the start of his second stint.
Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
McLaren (Jenson Button 9, Sergio Perez 11)
Button, winner three times in the past four years in Melbourne, felt he had got the most out of a car struggling for pace.
His meagre haul took his career points tally to 1,001. Perez made his debut for the team in 15th place on the grid. The Mexican has now not scored in seven successive races. Both drivers did three pitstops.
Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
Toro Rosso (Jean-Eric Vergne 12, Daniel Ricciardo retired)
Vergne went through a gravel trap at the start, from 13th on the grid, but was in a scoring position until the closing laps.
Ricciardo retired from his home race with an exhaust problem.
Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
Sauber (Esteban Gutierrez 13, Nico Hulkenberg did not start)
Gutierrez was the highest finisher of the five rookies, fighting back from 18th on the grid.
Hulkenberg qualified 11th but did not start after a fuel system problem was detected.
Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
Williams (Valtteri Bottas 14, Pastor Maldonado retired)
A solid race debut for Bottas, who started on the super-soft option tyres. Maldonado started 17th and was the first retirement after beaching his car in the gravel.
Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
Marussia (Jules Bianchi 15, Max Chilton 17)
A solid debut for both rookies. Chilton made contact early on with Van der Garde's Caterham and had to make a long pitstop for a new front wing.
Formula One: Team by Team analysis of Australian GP
Caterham (Charles Pic 16, Giedo van der Garde 18)
Pic made two stops, Van der Garde three. The Dutchman had a slow puncture on his second set of tyres.
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