Sebastian Vettel defeated Lewis Hamilton in a gripping Australian Grand Prix to kick off Formula 1’s new era with a superb victory for Ferrari.
The German jumped poleman Hamilton in the pitstops then comfortably led home the Mercedes driver, who just kept new team-mate Valtteri Bottas at arm’s length in third.
Hamilton made a strong start from pole position, but Vettel kept him in sight throughout the opening stint and closed to within a second before Hamilton dived into the pits on lap 17.
The Briton still had the upper hand when he emerged, but the pendulum swung towards Vettel when Hamilton got bottled up behind Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.