2017 Australian GP Post-Race Stats

The first race of the season is over, and it was pretty good I’d say, not much overtaking but there’s usually not much in Australia anyway.

Hamilton looked quick all weekend and set pole on Saturday by almost three tenths, Vettel in second and Bottas third and less than half a tenth behind. Hamilton led from pole for the first stint of the race, but after pitting he was held up by Verstappen. Vettel pitted about five laps later than Hamilton, exiting the pits very closely ahead and having to fend off the young Dutchman.

Vettel comfortably led the rest of the race, winning over Hamilton by almost ten seconds, with Bottas finishing third in his first race for Mercedes. Kimi Raikkonen took the fastest lap of the race and Esteban Ocon scored his first F1 point in tenth. Antonio Giovinazzi made an unexpected F1 debut as Wehrlein pulled out and performed well, closely missing out in reaching Q2 and finished in 12^th place (though there were only 13 cars running by the end).

Vettel won his 43^rd F1 race and the 225^th for Ferrari, and the first time that Ferrari have won the opening race of the season since 2010. Exactly half of all the drivers that scored points at the Australian GP finished in the same place that they started, Perez and Ocon each gained three positions, the most of anyone in the points.