Jonathan Howcroft Jonathan Howcroft
An engrossing start to the season then, albeit one not packed with racing incident.
Mercedes will rue Bottas’ error in Q3 yesterday as his absence from the front of the pack allowed Ferrari to set strategic terms. Hamilton proved he has the pace once again but Vettel demonstrated his fighting qualities will keep him in the hunt.
Finding out what happened to Haas will provide plenty of intrigue during the next week or so. Both cars were well placed early in the race but then both inexplicably conked out. Quite why will be a cause for concern, and possibly the stewards.
The next stop is Bahrain in a fortnight. We’ll be back here to do it all again. Thanks for your company.