Mercedes launched off the line with a strong lap one performance at the Australian Grand Prix, taking the lead from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton passed the Dutchman.
The Mercedes party didn’t last long though, as a strategy call saw Russell lose his position at the head of the field, while Hamilton was overtaken by lap 12.
Although Hamilton put on a valiant display, the British driver was unable to hold the flying Dutchman back for long, as the Red Bull’s pace was impossible to match.
Once clear of the field, Verstappen powered ahead, disappearing far ahead of his closest rival until a red flag on lap 55 brought the pack back together.
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Red Bull seemed to have mastered the design of their car, giving it an additional boost under DRS conditions that its rivals don’t have, allowing it to easily overtake rivals.
“They have a straight-line speed advantage with the DRS open that is just mind-boggling,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said.
“But this is the meritocracy of the sport and if you have a car that’s that quick on the straight because you’re doing the right things, then it’s up to us to sort this out and find the tools to improve the straight-line performance,” he added.
While Mercedes achieved their first podium finish of the season in Australia, Wolff was clear to calm expectations, believing the W14 was just suited to a track, such as Albert Park.
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“I think [the circuit was] definitely an advantage for us,” Wolff said after the race.
“Our car lacks a little bit of performance in the rear end and the track definitely helped us so I think that made us look a little bit better than we should be.
“But we know where the weaknesses are and we just need to sort them out,” he added.