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Australian GP: Kimi Raikkonen wins ahead of Fernando Alonso

By Andrew BensonChief F1 writer in Melbourne

Last updated on .From the section Formula 1comments647

Australian GP highlights: Raikkonen races to Melbourne victory

Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen beat Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in a tense strategic battle in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Raikkonen made only two pit stops for fresh tyres compared to Alonso's three and the Finn carefully managed his race to hold off the Ferrari's challenge.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel took third ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.

Red Bull's Mark Webber was sixth and Force India's Paul di Resta eighth.

Jenson Button salvaged ninth for struggling McLaren ahead of the second Lotus of Romain Grosjean.

Raikkonen had started in seventh place on the grid but a good start put him up to fourth in the early laps.

Lotus put him on a two-stop strategy and he managed his tyres carefully to move into the lead on lap 23 as the other front-runners - Alonso, Massa and Vettel - made their second of three stops.

Alonso, who passed early leaders Vettel and Massa with an earlier second stop, set a series of fastest laps as he took the lead following Raikkonen's final stop on lap 34.

Raikkonen re-took the lead when Alonso made his own final stop, after which he emerged third behind the Finn and Sutil, who was running second on his own two-stop strategy.

But once Alonso had passed Sutil, Raikkonen upped his pace and was able to keep the Ferrari at arm's length and even pull away in the closing laps.

"Our plan was to do two stops," said the Finn. "It's always difficult in the first races to know when to stop. We got it exactly right, the team worked extremely well, we had a plan and we followed the plan, and it worked out perfectly for us.

"I could save the tyres and I could go fast when I wanted. It was one of the easiest races to win. Hopefully we can have more races like this."

Vettel had looked poised for a comfortable win after setting impressive times in practice and taking pole by nearly half a second.

But the Red Bull could not keep pace with Raikkonen and Alonso in the race as he struggled with higher tyre wear than the Lotus and Ferrari.

"We can be happy with the pace all weekend, the whole team worked well," said Vettel. "Obviously there is a bit of homework to do with the tyres. I think two stop was out of our range today. The naked pace was there."

And the close battle bodes well for a competitive season between those three teams, who appear to have a slight advantage over the rest.

"Arriving here and fighting for the podium was the aim of the weekend," said Alonso. "The car felt good so being on the podium is job done, let's say.

"We didn't have the pace to fight with Kimi today. He was too fast for us."

Like Raikkonen, Mercedes tried a two-stop strategy with Hamilton, who appeared to be in with a chance of victory at one point, but the car's tyre wear was too high and the 2008 world champion had to make an unplanned third pit stop and fell back to fifth.

He was a place ahead and outpacing team-mate Nico Rosberg before the German retired just before half distance.

Webber lined up on the front row alongside team-mate Vettel, but a terrible start dropped him to seventh following an ECU (electronic control unit) failure which automatically shut down his Kers power boost. His race was subsequently ruined when he was stuck behind Button after his first pit stop.

Sutil impressed in the Force India, leading at mid-race after starting from 11th place on the harder 'medium' tyre, while those in the top 10 had to start on the 'super-softs' on which they had qualified.

But he went too hard too early on the super-softs when he fitted them at his final stop and fell back to seventh.

Race results top 10

1. Kimi Raikkonen - Lotus 1:30:03.225

2. Fernando Alonso - Ferrari +00:12.451

3. Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull +00:22.346

4. Felipe Massa - Ferrari +00:33.577

5. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes +00:45.561

6. Mark Webber - Red Bull +00:46.800

7. Adrian Sutil - Force India +01:05.068

8. Paul di Resta - Force India +01:08.449

9. Jenson Button - McLaren +01:21.630

10. Romain Grosjean - Lotus +01:22.759

Comments

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647 comments

  • Comment posted by User0951217961, at 09:24 17 Mar 2013

    To all those whining about the results being published on an F1 page.

    What the hell do you expect, you must be idiots if you want to stay away from the results while visting a F1 page.

    I mean how hard is it to stay away from the news, here's a clue....dont visit websites that have news or sports results.

  • Comment posted by The world is going to hell in a hand cart, at 13:41 17 Mar 2013

    I'm still waiting to watch the highlights of this race due to the BBC wasting my licence fee money on utter dross to compete with ITV for the chav viewer.

  • Comment posted by User0880914151, at 09:11 17 Mar 2013

    Good old Kimi who retired and came back to an unknown quantity but, unlike another top comeback driver, he went from strength to strength and bought the famous and historic Lotus badge back to the forefront.

  • Comment posted by dja, at 09:34 17 Mar 2013

    Well done to lotus and Kimi, to those people complaining about the race result being posted by the bbc; it's a NEWS site, if you don't want to know the race result don't visit a News website! Wallies.

  • Comment posted by Coolica1, at 11:24 17 Mar 2013

    There are a lot of idiots who post on here. Here is some advice to them:

    1. If you don't want to know the results of the race before the highlights show, then don't go onto a website that is obviously going to tell you the results.

    2. If you don't like F1, don't find it worthy of being a sport or find it boring, then don't go onto articles about F1. Clearly you're attention seeking.

  • Comment posted by User0210391247, at 09:48 17 Mar 2013

    @36

    Did you read the results? Seems like Button didn't finish ahead of Hamilton....Nor did Perez, you haters can go to hell


    @44
    Are you stupid? This is a NEWS site. This was bound to happen. Surely if you go to work, you see the results of the stupid football, its the same situation yeah? God, will people like you understand what a news site is, PLEASE. Plus, stop talking rubbish, thank you :)

  • Comment posted by Jaw Jorwell, at 09:37 17 Mar 2013

    @36 Wolfhunter

    Lewis would have been slightly higher than Jensen - The McLaren is not set up right and the changes they have made for this season have bitten off more than they can chew. They will improve as the year progresses because they always do.

    Lewis did really well in his first drive for Mercedes. If his tyres had lasted he could possibly have won the race. I hope he is pleased with it.

  • Comment posted by User0829091420, at 13:09 17 Mar 2013

    Anyone still questioning LH's decision to leave McLaren?? He knew better than anyone what a joke they've become under MW's constant poor strategic decisions. The move to slicks in Q2 was ridiculous & you could just imagine a frustrated Hamilton sitting where Perez was after being wrongly told to come in for super softs. Even Button got sent out too early in Q3 & for 3 laps despite obv tyre wear.

  • Comment posted by ppuj, at 10:05 17 Mar 2013

    Well that has certainly mixed it up for the season ahead. I di not expect such a strong show from Force India or for Kimi to win. Red Bull were so dominant I fully expected to see a 1 2 from them.
    Jensen put in a great solid performance in what can only be described as a dog of a car. Hoping they can sort that soon.
    Hamilton did well too.
    I am looking forward to an exciting season.

  • Comment posted by User0902816675, at 09:38 17 Mar 2013

    I have to agree with kiltedkiwi, the BBC ALWAYS show the results of the race on their F1 homepage as soon as they happen. They also comment on the race as it happens. If you are a long time follower of F1, gixerracer, you would know that and avoid ALL forms of media news etc. until the highlights if you don't want to hear the result.

  • Comment posted by CoolKev, at 09:51 17 Mar 2013

    Mercedes Debut Performance? Beautiful. Simply Beautiful!

    Lewis left Mr Whitmarsh well and truly left with egg on his face.

    And Ros looks very promising despite his misfortunes today.

    All Mercedes needs to do now is get their Race Strategy right and there'll be no stopping them on their way to a potential WDC n WCC!!

    Go Merc!! :D

  • Comment posted by Seen it all before, at 09:28 17 Mar 2013

    To "gixerracer", can you google the term "get over it". The B.B.C. does not exist to please you but to inform millions world wide as to what is happening. Many people don't even get a highlight package and "follow" the race on the internet. Must they all wait till you're happy? Here's a thought, don't go online till after your highlight show...duh !

  • Comment posted by F1expert, at 12:39 17 Mar 2013

    Where have all the uncouth, load mouth "experts" gone who, during the end of last season threw insults at Hamilton. I suspect they are at football matches shouting abuse from the terrace. Well done Lewis for silencing the yobs that attempt to ruin these forums.

  • Comment posted by User0650225756, at 10:34 17 Mar 2013

    Just why are people bitching? You have gone onto a SPORTS website after pretty much major sporting event? What did you think you'd find, the latest news of Reality TV?

  • Comment posted by sven, at 11:08 17 Mar 2013

    bbc one of the best thing that we have at the moment .Because you pay license fee you think it bad have a look at Sky if you want sport you have to 45 pounds a month

  • Comment posted by wolf2012, at 15:26 17 Mar 2013

    F1 has become a tire management championship, which is probably accomplished 50/50 by car and driver - sometimes 30/70 or 70/30. But anyway, it kind of bugs me. The emphasis on tires screws up the sport ... and I don't give a dump ... simply give these guys the best tires, let them start the race which fresh tires and bring back true racing ... not this gimmick here ...

  • Comment posted by goldenbales, at 12:05 17 Mar 2013

    146.

    that's real sad. I ain't no fan of HAM but to be ecstatic because he is not winning is shameful.

  • Comment posted by dante, at 17:41 17 Mar 2013

    Without having to play one of the three stooges Coulthard is free to speak with more clarity and unhindered way. Now sack the little Irish fellow. One down one to go. Much better coverage BBC. Keep it up. Oh and go Kimmi.

  • Comment posted by autumn, at 19:56 17 Mar 2013

    Some of us thought with Button/Hamilton in different teams, it would stop these ridiculous, childish arguments on here. Obviously not....

    What I forgot to say in my previous comment, Caterham have not improved and it was a good win by Raikkonen and Lotus. It's set up for a good season.

  • Comment posted by Funky, at 20:37 18 Mar 2013

    Dear Mums and Dads could you please get these kids off their laptops and send them to bed with a cup of cocoa and read them a bedtime story telling them about how there are 22 F1 drivers instead of just Jb vs LH rubbish :)

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