The new F1 era began with action, smart strategy and Ferrari giving its fans an early headache. Honestly, I enjoyed this race more than I expected.
Before the lights even went out, poor Piastri crashed on his way to the grid. Missing your home race like that must hurt badly. I genuinely felt sorry for him.
When the race finally started, Leclerc jumped from fourth to first and gave us a proper fight with Russell. They exchanged positions several times, and Ferrari genuinely looked ready to win.
Then the Virtual Safety Car arrived. Aaahh,
Mercedes immediately pitted Russell and Kimi. Ferrari kept both cars out. Clever right?
Even Hamilton questioned it on the radio, saying at least one Ferrari should have stopped. Another opportunity came later, but Ferrari stayed out again.
Mercedes were simply too clever, ha ha.
Russell returned to the lead and won the race, while Kimi completed a brilliant Mercedes 1-2. Ferrari clearly had the speed, but Mercedes made the better decisions.
I also loved Kimi’s radio conversation after the finish. He sounded so happy, while Toto sounded like a proud father. I think Toto is slowly becoming Kimi’s new F1 dad, lol.
Max Verstappen quietly recovered from 20th to sixth, while Lando Norris did well to keep him behind and finish fifth.
Overall, the race became quieter towards the end, but the opening fight, strategy battle and new cars made it a very enjoyable season opener.
A2W Race Rating: 8/10
Did Mercedes win through clever strategy, or did Ferrari simply give the race away?
Mercedes played chess. Ferrari was still looking for the board.
aKi Malik
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