Despite the messy race, the Britton Lewis Hamilton began Sunday with a lucky strike obtaining an excellent victory in the Australian Grand Prix the first race of the Formula 1 world championship.
Lewis who finished last year's in second position in the drivers' championship ranking was able to avoid a series of accidents making this his fifth triumph for the McLaren motor racing team. Hamilton never felt pressured and was very pleased with the timing of 1 hour, 34 minutes and 50,616 seconds. Surpassing for 5.4 seconds the Germans Nick Heidfield (BMW Sauber) and Nico Rosberg (of Williams). Just 22 drivers were able to end the 58 laps race from the 58 ones that began at the grid.
On the other hand, the Spaniard Fernando Alonso who began in 11th place took some advantages and managed a fourth place. Alonso who now runs for Renault overcame in the last lap the Finn Haikki Kovalainen, the other McLaren's driver. Then we have the current champion Kimi Raikkonen who ran out of fuel and had to take his Ferrari to the pits only three laps before the end of the race.
This was indeed an excellent race that Hamilton knew how to take control of from the beginning. The race finished in the first curve of the Alberta Park a 5.303 kilometres (3.295 miles) circuit leaving five vehicles out of competition with unfinished laps.
This was the first time since the 2003 season that Fernando Alonso is not in a podium position in Melbourne; but despite the results the Spaniard was shown happy valuing the difficulties of Renault in the previous preparation stage.
Alonso stated they tried to maximize the opportunities that came up and that he finishes his first Grand Prix with a good result, which will provide good confidence to the team.
Raikkonen managed to rescue a point when the commissioners annulled the sixth place, the Brazilian Rubens Barrichello (Honda) by leaving the pits zone when the lights were in red. This was Ferrari's only point more less the worst start of season for the Italian motor-racing team since 1992.
The Japanese Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) and the French rookie Sebastien Bourdais (Toro Rosso) also managed to obtain points remaining sixth and seventh, respectively. Bourdais, four times champion in the Champ Car, got some point despite the fact he did not complete the distance of the entire race.
This race was also Force India's debut; the Italian Giancarlo Fisichella excelled among the four injured of the first lap. The local Mark Webber (Red Bull) and the Briton Jenson Button (Honda) also were in that group.
Hamilton stated this race reminded him of his first Formula One victory in Montreal; a great challenge he knew he could do well in it. "I felt fantastic, one never thinks that can be so quickly as a blinking, just as it was. Also it was a great preparation for Malaysia, and already I am anxious to compete there", declared Hamilton.
