Vettel stands supreme in Australian Grand Prix

Vettel sounds a warning to his rivals with a dominating victory in his flying Red Bull.

MELBOURNE:

World Champion Sebastian Vettel sounded a warning to his rivals with a dominating victory in his flying Red Bull in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix (GP).

The German whizz led his rivals a merry dance around the Albert Park street circuit, beating McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton by more than 22 seconds with Russian Vitaly Petrov third in a Lotus Renault. It was Vettel’s 11th win in his 63rd GP.

Vettel, who posted the fastest-ever lap at Albert Park to qualify on the pole, yet again did not resort to using the power-boosting Kinetic Energy Recovery System to further accentuate his gap on the Formula One field.

“I think it is clear that they have a fantastic car as they’ve had for the last year-and-a-half,” admitted Hamilton.

Vettel tempered expectations that world constructors’ champions Red Bull will again rule the 2011 season as they did last year.

“I don’t like the word ‘dominant’ at this stage, to be honest,” said Vettel. “It was a very good race, we got a lot of points which are important, but it’s a long year and a lot of things can happen.”

Vettel’s emphatic performance ended his personal frustrations in Australia, where he had failed to finish twice along with an undistinguished 13th in 2009 in his three previous drives.

“It was important for us to finish the race because we didn’t last year, so big compliments to everyone back in the factory,” he said.

Vettel’s Red Bull was by far the quickest car this weekend and registered a record lap around Albert Park of 1:23.529 to take pole position in Saturday’s qualifying. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso missed out on the podium in fourth place, while Vettel’s Australian teammate Mark Webber finished fifth for the third time in his home GP.

Hamilton vows to fight back

Hamilton praised the sheer speed of the Red Bulls, but sounded a warning of his own.

“We’re back in the fight and only a few points behind the guy who has a much faster car. But we’ll close that gap.”

There was jubilation in the Lotus Renault garage with Petrov’s first podium finish in 20 GPs. “I’m very happy to be on the podium,” said Petrov.

Vettel safely negotiated his way off the pole and headed off Hamilton and Webber to the first right-hander, which claimed  Michael Schumacher, who was forced to pit before eventually retiring after 19 laps.

The next stop on the circuit is Sepang in Malaysia on April 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2011.