Formula 1: 2018 Rolex Australian Grand Prix results – Sebastian Vettel wins
By Asher Fair
The opening race of the 2018 Formula 1 season is in the books. Sebastian Vettel took the checkered flag in the Rolex Australian Grand Prix.
The 2018 season, which is first Formula 1 season during which two four-time champions are competing, got underway with the Rolex Australian Grand Prix. One of those two four-time champions opened up the season with a win.
Sebastian Vettel took the victory in the Australian Grand Prix in his Ferrari after 58 laps around the 16-turn, 3.295-mile Albert Park street circuit in Melbourne. The win was the 48th of his career, and it gave him his 100th career podium finish in his 199th start.
Vettel is now the fourth driver who has won at least 48 Formula 1 races, and he is the first driver who has finished on the podium in 100 races as well. All three drivers who are ahead of him on either of those all-time lists are ahead of him on both of those all-time lists.
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Lewis Hamilton started the race from the pole position alongside Vettel’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen, while Vettel started back in 3rd place and really didn’t look like a potential win contender early on.
However, when there was a virtual safety car period following the retirement of Haas’ Romain Grosjean, who was running in 5th place before pitting and whose teammate Kevin Magnussen had just been forced to retire with a wheel issue as well after running in 4th for much of the race, Vettel came into the pits and got out ahead of Hamilton, who had already made his pit stop.
After that, Vettel was the race’s only leader. The race featured only that one lead change among those two drivers. Vettel led 40 of the race’s 58 laps, while Hamilton led the other 18. Vettel ended up beating Hamilton to the finish line by 5.036 seconds.
Here are the full race results from the 2018 Australian Grand Prix.
| Rank | Driver | Car, Team, Engine |
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | #5, Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | #44, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, Mercedes |
| 3 | Kimi Raikkonen | #7, Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari |
| 4 | Daniel Ricciardo | #3, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, Renault |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | #14, McLaren, Renault |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | #33, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, Renault |
| 7 | Nico Hulkenberg | #27, Renault Sport, Renault |
| 8 | Valtteri Bottas | #77, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, Mercedes |
| 9 | Stoffel Vandoorne | #2, McLaren, Renault |
| 10 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | #55, Renault Sport, Renault |
| 11 | Sergio Perez | #11, Sahara Force India, Mercedes |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | #31, Sahara Force India, Mercedes |
| 13 | Charles Leclerc | #16, Alfa Romeo Sauber, Ferrari |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | #18, Williams Martini Racing, Mercedes |
| 15 | Brendon Hartley | #28, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Honda |
| 16 | Romain Grosjean | #8, Haas, Ferrari |
| 17 | Kevin Magnussen | #20, Haas, Ferrari |
| 18 | Pierre Gasly | #10, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Honda |
| 19 | Marcus Ericsson | #9, Alfa Romeo Sauber, Ferrari |
| 20 | Sergey Sirotkin | #35, Williams Martini Racing, Mercedes |
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Be sure to tune in to the next Formula 1 race, which is the Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit. That race is set to take place on Sunday, April 8th, and it is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 starting at 11:10 am ET.