It had finally arrived. The first race weekend of the 2014 Formula 1 season and the sport's new era got underway at the Albert Park Circuit in Australia.
After months of waiting and a highly inconclusive winter of testing, we finally got a first glimpse of the potential pecking order - for the first few fly-away races at least.
Following the final pre-season test in Bahrain, teams and drivers worked hard to prepare for one of the most challenging races in recent F1 history. Parts were made, problems were solved and updates were brought to Melbourne for the season opener.
McLaren revealed a new one-off livery for the race and the FIA confirmed modifications to the qualifying format on the Thursday of the race weekend.
Speaking of what is more commonly known as 'media day' in the paddock, check out my Thursday Snap Shot. For a preview of the race and a track guide, go here, and take a look back to 1998 with my F1 Flashback - as well as my Richland F1 One Year Rewind. Also, here is a piece for Car Throttle with 10 things you might not know about the race.
Excited for the new F1 season? For me, that is an understatement! New drivers, new tracks, new rules and new challenges - bring it on. Here is the Australian Grand Prix weekend report, which will be updated after each session.
FP1
The first Grand Prix session of 2014 took place in typically warm and sunny conditions in Australia. It was packed full of action as the F1 field got to grips with the new cars around the tricky Albert Park Circuit.
Fernando Alonso got his season off to the best possible start by setting the pace with a best time of 1m31.840. It was a rather messy 90 minutes of running with plenty of drivers taking to the grass and gravel.
Jenson Button ended the session in second place, half a second down on the Ferrari F14 T of Alonso, with Valtteri Bottas, Felipe Massa and Daniel Ricciardo completing the top five.
His team-mate Sebastian Vettel completed just 11 laps, compared to Ricciardo's 26, after a delayed start. However, the German's fortunes were far better in comparison to pre-season favourite Lewis Hamilton and the two Lotus drivers. The Brit's Mercedes W05 ground to a halt in the opening five minutes after an oil pressure alarm caused the engine to shut down.
Pastor Maldonado suffered a problem in the closing stages (which took him off track at turn 13) and Romain Grosjean failed to even complete a lap. Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson both completed just one installation lap for Caterham due to reliability issues. It was a dramatic and - certainly for me - welcome return for the sport with a new look, sound and potentially a changed competitive order.
FP2
The second practice session of the weekend was a busy and dramatic one. Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets with a 1m29.625 and completed 37 laps at the wheel of the Mercedes W05.
He finished just ahead of his team-mate Nico Rosberg, with Alonso, Vettel and Button completing the top five. It was a more promising session for Red Bull Racing with Ricciardo in sixth. Both drivers managed well over 30 laps at the wheel of the RB10.
The majority of teams focused on short runs on both the medium and soft tyre early in second practice before switching to longer stints in the final 45 minutes. The cars were certainly a handful with, like FP1, plenty of off-track excursions - including Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean (who hit the wall at turn six in the final minutes).
Raikkonen and Bottas set the seventh and eighth fastest times with Magnussen and Hulkenberg rounding out the top 10. There was certainly plenty more action in the second session as preparations continued for qualifying and the race. The woes of Lotus continued with Maldonado failing to complete a lap. Kobayashi also failed to emerge from the pit lane and his team-mate Ericsson only managed one installation lap before his day was cut short.
FP3
Overcast skies welcomed teams to the Albert Park Circuit on Saturday as the third and final practice session of the Australian Grand Prix weekend got underway. Jean-Eric Vergne was the first driver out on track, followed by Bottas, Gutierrez and Chilton.
Some predicted a dull and quiet third practice but it was far from it. Kvyat, Button and Hamilton all briefly topped the timesheets early on before drivers switched to the soft compound Pirelli tyre.
By the chequered flag, it was Rosberg who had moved to the top for Mercedes with a best time of 1m29.375. His team-mate could have gone faster had it not been for a mistake at turn nine on his fastest lap. Button finished second, 1.4 seconds behind, with Alonso, Hamilton and Ricciardo completing the top five.
Raikkonen's start to the session was delayed by a radio problem and there were plenty of off-track excursions as drivers battled with the new cars and strong winds. Caterham had a more positive session after a disastrous Friday, with Kobayashi and Ericsson managing 19 and 21 laps respectively.
Lotus continued to struggle with Maldonado stopping out on track at turn 15 in the closing minutes. A frustrated Grosjean suffered with an engine misfire during FP3. Gutierrez and Bottas lost time due to gearbox changes, meaning five-place grid penalties for both drivers.
Qualifying
Q1
With rain on the way, it was a busy start to the first qualifying session of the 2014 season. Hamilton and Rosberg led a queue of cars out on track as the green light signalled the start of the shortened 18 minute session - following tweaks to the qualifying format.
The majority of teams moved to the soft compound tyres, with Mercedes breaking the mould and using the medium Pirelli rubber, as drivers frantically looked to improve their lap times before the rain arrived.
The anticipated wet weather appeared with five minutes remaining, bringing an end to running in the session. Ricciardo set the best time in Q1 with a 1m30.775. Magnussen, Massa, Alonso and Button completed the top five.
Bottas made it through to the second session in sixth with Hamilton and Rosberg setting the seventh and 10th fastest times on the medium compound. Vettel was eighth and scraped the wall at the exit of turn 10. Impressively, Kobayashi managed to avoid the drop zone for Caterham in 16th.
Max Chilton missed out on making it through by just 0.02 seconds and out-qualified his team-mate Jules Bianchi. Gutierrez (with his five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change) only qualified 19th and Ericsson set the 20th fastest time. He was joined by the Lotus duo of Grosjean and Maldonado at the back of the grid, with the latter failing to even set a time.
Q2
The second session got underway in slippery and wet conditions, with the intermediate Pirelli compound being the tyre of choice.
Lap times improved dramatically throughout what was a frantic 15-minute session. The order changed constantly but it was Rosberg who set the fastest time by the chequered flag, from Ricciardo, Alonso, Hamilton and Magnussen on his F1 debut
Hulkenberg, Vergne, Bottas, Massa and Kvyat all made it through to the top 10 shoot-out as some big names dropped out in Q2. Button was the first driver to miss out on a space in the final session by just one tenth of a second.
Raikkonen qualified in 12th place after losing control in the tricky conditions and hitting the wall at turn three. Vettel was the third driver in the drop-zone after a scruffy final lap. Sutil, Kobayashi and Perez also failed to make it through to the final session. There were plenty of slides and off-track excursions as drivers got to grips with the new cars in wet conditions - some failed to complete any running on the wet or intermediate tyres in winter testing.
Q3
Conditions worsened prior to the start of the top 10 shoot-out with the majority of drivers taking to the track on the full wet Pirelli rubber.
Rosberg was the first driver to exit the pit lane and also set the each benchmark with a 1m45.550. Hamilton soon displaced his team-mate with all 10 drivers setting a time within the first six minutes of the newly-extended session.
With five minutes remaining, a number of drivers pitted and switched to the intermediate tyre compound. Like Q2, times improved throughout the session despite the challenging conditions.
By the flag, it was a clear fight between the Mercedes pairing and the last remaining Red Bull. Rosberg took provisional pole but he was displaced by Ricciardo. The Australian crowd went wild as the Aussie crossed the line on the intermediate tyres, but he didn't hold on to first for long.
Hamilton crossed the line to take the top spot on the grid on the wet Pirelli rubber. His fastest time of 1m44.231 was three tenths faster than his nearest challenger, with Rosberg half a tenth further back in third. Rookie Magnussen impressed for McLaren in fourth with Alonso in fifth.
Vergne and Hulkenberg both used the intermediate rubber to qualify sixth and seventh, with Kvyat also showing strong form in eight despite a late crash on the curved straight on the run to turn 11. The Williams duo of Massa and Bottas rounded out the top 10 in what was a thrilling first qualifying of 2014.
The Race
After one of the most exciting qualifying sessions in recent F1 history, race day arrived for the opening round of the 2014 season.
It marked the official start of the sport's new era and a walk into the unknown. It is a long season, but a good first race in Australia is crucial to get the year off on the right foot. There were concerns over reliability and certainly plenty of questions surrounding the weather.
With new cars, new rules, new drivers and changeable conditions, we were all set for an incredibly exciting race. Who went on to win it? Read on to find out...
After a second formation lap following problems for the Marussia duo, for the first time of the year, the revs rose on the grid, the lights went out and at the Albert Park Circuit, we were racing. Off the line, Rosberg had a brilliant start from third on the grid and took the lead into the first corner as pole-sitter Hamilton dropped behind Ricciardo.
Magnussen suffered a big moment as he left the grid and there was a collision at turn one between Massa and Kobayashi. Both drivers retired on the spot. Gutierrez spun at turn three with Vettel, who had a terrible start, having to take avoiding action. Later in the lap, Magnussen displaced Hamilton for third.
The Brit was struggling and was told to retire the car at the end of lap two, but just moments later his race engineer changed his mind. However, a misfiring cylinder meant Hamilton had no choice but to pull into the pits at the end of lap three.
The midfield order spread out in the early stages as Bottas battled with the Toro Rosso duo. Like Hamilton, Vettel reported a problem with his power-unit and retired from the race on lap four. Rosberg continued to extend his lead at the front with a five second advantage over Ricciardo by the end of lap eight.
Bottas impressed in the early laps and completed some stunning overtakes on Kvyat, Vergne and Raikkonen. However, he pushed a bit too hard and hit the wall at the exit of turn 10. Fortunately the Finn only suffered a puncture and pitted at the end of lap 11 for fresh Pirelli rubber.
However, damage on track brought out the safety car on lap 12 with a number of drivers taking to the pit lane. Rosberg took to his pit box on the following lap, as did the rest of the field.
The Mercedes driver led the field away on the restart and soon made the jump on Ricciardo's Red Bull RB10. Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Alonso and Button completed the top six. Further back, Bottas was making good progress through the field and had moved up to 11th by lap 19.
Alonso and Button closed in on Hulkenberg after the Force India driver locked-up at turn six on lap 22. Out front, Rosberg's commanding lead had increased to seven seconds. Bottas displaced rookie Kvyat for ninth place on lap 25 at the first corner, with a little help from DRS.
Ericsson, who was running at the back of the race, pulled off the circuit at turn four on lap 28 with an oil pressure problem. Another Renault-powered retired from the race with Maldonado parking his car on lap 31.
Jenson Button was the first of the top 10 to pit for the second time on lap 33. The Brit moved on to the medium compound Pirelli tyre. Hulkenberg and Vergne both took to the pit lane on the following lap and emerged behind the McLaren MP4-29.
Raikkonen suffered a lock-up into turn nine on lap 35 and dropped behind countryman Bottas. The sole Red Bull RB10 left in the race pitted on lap 36, with Bottas, Raikkonen and Kvyat following him in. Mercedes reacted on the following lap by pitting the race leader.
Magnussen failed to decrease the gap to Ricciardo in the second pit stop phase but the Danish racer found some speed and by lap 42, he was under one second behind and in the DRS zone. Grosjean was the sixth driver to retire from the race after pulling off track on lap 46 with a KERS failure.
Vergne dipped his left-rear tyre onto the grass on the entry to the final corner. He suffered a large slide and the mistake enabled Bottas to sneak through. With just six laps to go, Magnussen started to attack Ricciardo for second place. Meanwhile Hulkenberg was overtaken by Bottas at turn one as the Finn continued to charge through the field.
However out front, it was Rosberg who crossed the line with a lead of over 20 seconds to take the victory at the first race of the 2014 season.
Nico Rosberg dominates to win the 2014 Australian Grand Prix
It
was a truly incredible display of driving from Nico Rosberg as he
powered to a controlled race win at the Albert Park Circuit. Mercedes,
the pre-season favourites, suffered mixed fortunes but the German's car
ran without any problems. It was an ominous and faultless display from
Rosberg, as he took the 100th win for a Mercedes engine in the sport.
Daniel Ricciardo managed to hold on to second place in what was a popular result on home turf, as he took the first podium of his career. The Aussie failed to keep up with the pace of Rosberg but it was a mature and trouble-free drive, particularly with the late-race pressure coming from Magnussen, and was a welcome turn of fortunes for Red Bull after a difficult winter.
However, the Aussie was excluded from the race after a five-hour investigation by the stewards. They found that his car had run consistently throughout the race above the maximum fuel flow rate of 100kg per hour. See more at the bottom of the piece.
The Danish driver put in a stunning performance on his debut to finish in third place. He had a strong start and put in a very consistent drive, matching Lewis Hamilton's result from his first race for McLaren back in 2007. Speaking of the Brit, it was a disappointing first round of the year after clinching pole on Saturday. He retired on lap three but Rosberg's pace and domination certainly proved what the car is capable of.
The second MP4-29 of Jenson Button crossed the line in fourth place after a strong drive from 10th on the grid. He jumped up the order in the pit stop sequence and benefited from others problems to score a good haul of points, meaning McLaren leave Australia at the top of the constructors' table.
Fernando Alonso battled an electrical issue to finish in fifth place and Valtteri Bottas starred for Williams in sixth. The Finn dropped to the back of the pack after contact with the wall but put in some impressive overtakes to rise through the field. Nico Hulkenberg spent most of the race defending but it was a good result for the German and Force India.
Kimi
Raikkonen had a scruffy race with a few lock-ups and an off-track
excursion, but managed to come home in eighth. Toro Rosso put in a
positive showing with Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat finishing ninth
and 10th. Sergio Perez missed out on a point in 11th after a quiet race,
with Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez finishing one lap down in 12th
and 13th.
Max Chilton was two laps down in 14th after starting from the pit lane. A problem on the grid for Jules Bianchi caused a second formation lap. The Frenchman re-joined the race a few laps behind and was the final car to be classified.
With reliability being crucial in the race, there were seven retirements. Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado retired with power-unit problems, as did Marcus Ericsson, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. Kamui Kobayashi crashed into Felipe Massa at turn one, taking them both out of the race.
It was a thrilling and intriguing start to the 2014 season with the expected technical gremlins shaking up the order. There were strong showings from this year's rookies, with fortunes changing and the pre-season favourite coming out on top. Bring on the next race.
 |
| © Sahara Force India F1 Team |
Following the final pre-season test in Bahrain, teams and drivers worked hard to prepare for one of the most challenging races in recent F1 history. Parts were made, problems were solved and updates were brought to Melbourne for the season opener.
McLaren revealed a new one-off livery for the race and the FIA confirmed modifications to the qualifying format on the Thursday of the race weekend.
Speaking of what is more commonly known as 'media day' in the paddock, check out my Thursday Snap Shot. For a preview of the race and a track guide, go here, and take a look back to 1998 with my F1 Flashback - as well as my Richland F1 One Year Rewind. Also, here is a piece for Car Throttle with 10 things you might not know about the race.
Excited for the new F1 season? For me, that is an understatement! New drivers, new tracks, new rules and new challenges - bring it on. Here is the Australian Grand Prix weekend report, which will be updated after each session.
FP1
The first Grand Prix session of 2014 took place in typically warm and sunny conditions in Australia. It was packed full of action as the F1 field got to grips with the new cars around the tricky Albert Park Circuit.
 |
| © Ferrari |
Fernando Alonso got his season off to the best possible start by setting the pace with a best time of 1m31.840. It was a rather messy 90 minutes of running with plenty of drivers taking to the grass and gravel.
Jenson Button ended the session in second place, half a second down on the Ferrari F14 T of Alonso, with Valtteri Bottas, Felipe Massa and Daniel Ricciardo completing the top five.
His team-mate Sebastian Vettel completed just 11 laps, compared to Ricciardo's 26, after a delayed start. However, the German's fortunes were far better in comparison to pre-season favourite Lewis Hamilton and the two Lotus drivers. The Brit's Mercedes W05 ground to a halt in the opening five minutes after an oil pressure alarm caused the engine to shut down.
Pastor Maldonado suffered a problem in the closing stages (which took him off track at turn 13) and Romain Grosjean failed to even complete a lap. Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson both completed just one installation lap for Caterham due to reliability issues. It was a dramatic and - certainly for me - welcome return for the sport with a new look, sound and potentially a changed competitive order.
FP2
The second practice session of the weekend was a busy and dramatic one. Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets with a 1m29.625 and completed 37 laps at the wheel of the Mercedes W05.
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
He finished just ahead of his team-mate Nico Rosberg, with Alonso, Vettel and Button completing the top five. It was a more promising session for Red Bull Racing with Ricciardo in sixth. Both drivers managed well over 30 laps at the wheel of the RB10.
The majority of teams focused on short runs on both the medium and soft tyre early in second practice before switching to longer stints in the final 45 minutes. The cars were certainly a handful with, like FP1, plenty of off-track excursions - including Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean (who hit the wall at turn six in the final minutes).
Raikkonen and Bottas set the seventh and eighth fastest times with Magnussen and Hulkenberg rounding out the top 10. There was certainly plenty more action in the second session as preparations continued for qualifying and the race. The woes of Lotus continued with Maldonado failing to complete a lap. Kobayashi also failed to emerge from the pit lane and his team-mate Ericsson only managed one installation lap before his day was cut short.
FP3
Overcast skies welcomed teams to the Albert Park Circuit on Saturday as the third and final practice session of the Australian Grand Prix weekend got underway. Jean-Eric Vergne was the first driver out on track, followed by Bottas, Gutierrez and Chilton.
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
Some predicted a dull and quiet third practice but it was far from it. Kvyat, Button and Hamilton all briefly topped the timesheets early on before drivers switched to the soft compound Pirelli tyre.
By the chequered flag, it was Rosberg who had moved to the top for Mercedes with a best time of 1m29.375. His team-mate could have gone faster had it not been for a mistake at turn nine on his fastest lap. Button finished second, 1.4 seconds behind, with Alonso, Hamilton and Ricciardo completing the top five.
Raikkonen's start to the session was delayed by a radio problem and there were plenty of off-track excursions as drivers battled with the new cars and strong winds. Caterham had a more positive session after a disastrous Friday, with Kobayashi and Ericsson managing 19 and 21 laps respectively.
Lotus continued to struggle with Maldonado stopping out on track at turn 15 in the closing minutes. A frustrated Grosjean suffered with an engine misfire during FP3. Gutierrez and Bottas lost time due to gearbox changes, meaning five-place grid penalties for both drivers.
Qualifying
Q1
With rain on the way, it was a busy start to the first qualifying session of the 2014 season. Hamilton and Rosberg led a queue of cars out on track as the green light signalled the start of the shortened 18 minute session - following tweaks to the qualifying format.
 |
| © Red Bull/Getty Images |
The majority of teams moved to the soft compound tyres, with Mercedes breaking the mould and using the medium Pirelli rubber, as drivers frantically looked to improve their lap times before the rain arrived.
The anticipated wet weather appeared with five minutes remaining, bringing an end to running in the session. Ricciardo set the best time in Q1 with a 1m30.775. Magnussen, Massa, Alonso and Button completed the top five.
Bottas made it through to the second session in sixth with Hamilton and Rosberg setting the seventh and 10th fastest times on the medium compound. Vettel was eighth and scraped the wall at the exit of turn 10. Impressively, Kobayashi managed to avoid the drop zone for Caterham in 16th.
Max Chilton missed out on making it through by just 0.02 seconds and out-qualified his team-mate Jules Bianchi. Gutierrez (with his five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change) only qualified 19th and Ericsson set the 20th fastest time. He was joined by the Lotus duo of Grosjean and Maldonado at the back of the grid, with the latter failing to even set a time.
Q2
The second session got underway in slippery and wet conditions, with the intermediate Pirelli compound being the tyre of choice.
 |
| © Red Bull/Getty Images |
Lap times improved dramatically throughout what was a frantic 15-minute session. The order changed constantly but it was Rosberg who set the fastest time by the chequered flag, from Ricciardo, Alonso, Hamilton and Magnussen on his F1 debut
Hulkenberg, Vergne, Bottas, Massa and Kvyat all made it through to the top 10 shoot-out as some big names dropped out in Q2. Button was the first driver to miss out on a space in the final session by just one tenth of a second.
Raikkonen qualified in 12th place after losing control in the tricky conditions and hitting the wall at turn three. Vettel was the third driver in the drop-zone after a scruffy final lap. Sutil, Kobayashi and Perez also failed to make it through to the final session. There were plenty of slides and off-track excursions as drivers got to grips with the new cars in wet conditions - some failed to complete any running on the wet or intermediate tyres in winter testing.
Q3
Conditions worsened prior to the start of the top 10 shoot-out with the majority of drivers taking to the track on the full wet Pirelli rubber.
Rosberg was the first driver to exit the pit lane and also set the each benchmark with a 1m45.550. Hamilton soon displaced his team-mate with all 10 drivers setting a time within the first six minutes of the newly-extended session.
 |
| © Red Bull/Getty Images |
By the flag, it was a clear fight between the Mercedes pairing and the last remaining Red Bull. Rosberg took provisional pole but he was displaced by Ricciardo. The Australian crowd went wild as the Aussie crossed the line on the intermediate tyres, but he didn't hold on to first for long.
Hamilton crossed the line to take the top spot on the grid on the wet Pirelli rubber. His fastest time of 1m44.231 was three tenths faster than his nearest challenger, with Rosberg half a tenth further back in third. Rookie Magnussen impressed for McLaren in fourth with Alonso in fifth.
Vergne and Hulkenberg both used the intermediate rubber to qualify sixth and seventh, with Kvyat also showing strong form in eight despite a late crash on the curved straight on the run to turn 11. The Williams duo of Massa and Bottas rounded out the top 10 in what was a thrilling first qualifying of 2014.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m44.231s
2. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1m44.548s +0.317s
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m44.595s +0.364s
4. Kevin Magnussen McLaren 1m45.745s +1.514s
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m45.819s +1.588s
6. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m45.864s +1.633s
7. Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1m46.030s +1.799s
8. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1m47.360s +3.129s
9. Felipe Massa Williams 1m48.079s +3.848s
10. Valtteri Bottas Williams 1m48.147s +3.916s
Q3 cut-off: 1m44.331s
11. Jenson Button McLaren 1m44.437s +2.173s
12. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m44.494s +2.230s
13. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m44.668s +2.404s
14. Adrian Sutil Sauber 1m45.655s +3.391s
15. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham 1m45.867s +3.603s
16. Sergio Perez Force India 1m47.293s +5.029s
Q2 cut-off: 1m34.274s
17. Max Chilton Marussia 1m34.293s +4.118s
18. Jules Bianchi Marussia 1m34.794s +4.619s
19. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m35.117s +4.942s
20. Marcus Ericsson Caterham 1m35.157s +4.982s
21. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m36.993s +6.818s
22. Pastor Maldonado Lotus
The Race
After one of the most exciting qualifying sessions in recent F1 history, race day arrived for the opening round of the 2014 season.
It marked the official start of the sport's new era and a walk into the unknown. It is a long season, but a good first race in Australia is crucial to get the year off on the right foot. There were concerns over reliability and certainly plenty of questions surrounding the weather.
With new cars, new rules, new drivers and changeable conditions, we were all set for an incredibly exciting race. Who went on to win it? Read on to find out...
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
After a second formation lap following problems for the Marussia duo, for the first time of the year, the revs rose on the grid, the lights went out and at the Albert Park Circuit, we were racing. Off the line, Rosberg had a brilliant start from third on the grid and took the lead into the first corner as pole-sitter Hamilton dropped behind Ricciardo.
The Brit was struggling and was told to retire the car at the end of lap two, but just moments later his race engineer changed his mind. However, a misfiring cylinder meant Hamilton had no choice but to pull into the pits at the end of lap three.
The midfield order spread out in the early stages as Bottas battled with the Toro Rosso duo. Like Hamilton, Vettel reported a problem with his power-unit and retired from the race on lap four. Rosberg continued to extend his lead at the front with a five second advantage over Ricciardo by the end of lap eight.
Bottas impressed in the early laps and completed some stunning overtakes on Kvyat, Vergne and Raikkonen. However, he pushed a bit too hard and hit the wall at the exit of turn 10. Fortunately the Finn only suffered a puncture and pitted at the end of lap 11 for fresh Pirelli rubber.
However, damage on track brought out the safety car on lap 12 with a number of drivers taking to the pit lane. Rosberg took to his pit box on the following lap, as did the rest of the field.
 |
| © Red Bull/Getty Images |
The Mercedes driver led the field away on the restart and soon made the jump on Ricciardo's Red Bull RB10. Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Alonso and Button completed the top six. Further back, Bottas was making good progress through the field and had moved up to 11th by lap 19.
Alonso and Button closed in on Hulkenberg after the Force India driver locked-up at turn six on lap 22. Out front, Rosberg's commanding lead had increased to seven seconds. Bottas displaced rookie Kvyat for ninth place on lap 25 at the first corner, with a little help from DRS.
Ericsson, who was running at the back of the race, pulled off the circuit at turn four on lap 28 with an oil pressure problem. Another Renault-powered retired from the race with Maldonado parking his car on lap 31.
Jenson Button was the first of the top 10 to pit for the second time on lap 33. The Brit moved on to the medium compound Pirelli tyre. Hulkenberg and Vergne both took to the pit lane on the following lap and emerged behind the McLaren MP4-29.
Raikkonen suffered a lock-up into turn nine on lap 35 and dropped behind countryman Bottas. The sole Red Bull RB10 left in the race pitted on lap 36, with Bottas, Raikkonen and Kvyat following him in. Mercedes reacted on the following lap by pitting the race leader.
 |
| © Red Bull/Getty Images |
Magnussen failed to decrease the gap to Ricciardo in the second pit stop phase but the Danish racer found some speed and by lap 42, he was under one second behind and in the DRS zone. Grosjean was the sixth driver to retire from the race after pulling off track on lap 46 with a KERS failure.
Vergne dipped his left-rear tyre onto the grass on the entry to the final corner. He suffered a large slide and the mistake enabled Bottas to sneak through. With just six laps to go, Magnussen started to attack Ricciardo for second place. Meanwhile Hulkenberg was overtaken by Bottas at turn one as the Finn continued to charge through the field.
However out front, it was Rosberg who crossed the line with a lead of over 20 seconds to take the victory at the first race of the 2014 season.
Nico Rosberg dominates to win the 2014 Australian Grand Prix
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
Daniel Ricciardo managed to hold on to second place in what was a popular result on home turf, as he took the first podium of his career. The Aussie failed to keep up with the pace of Rosberg but it was a mature and trouble-free drive, particularly with the late-race pressure coming from Magnussen, and was a welcome turn of fortunes for Red Bull after a difficult winter.
However, the Aussie was excluded from the race after a five-hour investigation by the stewards. They found that his car had run consistently throughout the race above the maximum fuel flow rate of 100kg per hour. See more at the bottom of the piece.
The Danish driver put in a stunning performance on his debut to finish in third place. He had a strong start and put in a very consistent drive, matching Lewis Hamilton's result from his first race for McLaren back in 2007. Speaking of the Brit, it was a disappointing first round of the year after clinching pole on Saturday. He retired on lap three but Rosberg's pace and domination certainly proved what the car is capable of.
The second MP4-29 of Jenson Button crossed the line in fourth place after a strong drive from 10th on the grid. He jumped up the order in the pit stop sequence and benefited from others problems to score a good haul of points, meaning McLaren leave Australia at the top of the constructors' table.
Fernando Alonso battled an electrical issue to finish in fifth place and Valtteri Bottas starred for Williams in sixth. The Finn dropped to the back of the pack after contact with the wall but put in some impressive overtakes to rise through the field. Nico Hulkenberg spent most of the race defending but it was a good result for the German and Force India.
 |
| © Marussia F1 Team |
Max Chilton was two laps down in 14th after starting from the pit lane. A problem on the grid for Jules Bianchi caused a second formation lap. The Frenchman re-joined the race a few laps behind and was the final car to be classified.
With reliability being crucial in the race, there were seven retirements. Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado retired with power-unit problems, as did Marcus Ericsson, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. Kamui Kobayashi crashed into Felipe Massa at turn one, taking them both out of the race.
It was a thrilling and intriguing start to the 2014 season with the expected technical gremlins shaking up the order. There were strong showings from this year's rookies, with fortunes changing and the pre-season favourite coming out on top. Bring on the next race.
UPDATED - Result - 57 laps:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1h32m58.710s
2. Kevin Magnussen McLaren +26.777s
3. Jenson Button McLaren +30.027s
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari +35.284s
5. Valtteri Bottas Williams +47.639s
6. Nico Hulkenberg Force India +50.718s
7. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari +57.675s
8. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso +1m00.441s
9. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso +1m03.585s
10. Sergio Perez Force India +1m25.916s
11. Adrian Sutil Sauber +1 lap
12. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber +1 lap
13. Max Chilton Marussia +2 laps
13. Jules Bianchi Marussia +8 laps
Retirements:
Romain Grosjean Lotus 43 laps
Pastor Maldonado Lotus 29 laps
Marcus Ericsson Caterham 27 laps
Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 4 laps
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 3 laps
Kamui Kobayashi Caterham 0 laps
Felipe Massa Williams 0 laps
Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing EXCLUDED*
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was excluded from second place due to exceeding the fuel flow limit.
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