While other rookies and teams struggled in rainy Melbourne, Mercedes and their youngster emerged tied atop the standings.

Mercedes made the call to replace Lewis Hamilton with young phenom Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and the 18-year-old dazzled in his debut, finishing fourth in challenging conditions after starting in P16. For a moment it looked as if Antonelli would be demoted to fifth due to a five-second penalty that was assessed for an unsafe release,

Lewis Hamilton’s relationship with his new Ferrari team was pressure tested in Australia, where he finished a disappointing 10th on debut, and was frustrated by a bad strategy that cost him a potential victory,