Valtteri Bottas overtakes Lewis Hamilton on first corner to dominate Australian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton lost the Australian Grand Prix in the first few yards when his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas passed him before going on to take the victory.

It was a commanding win for the Finn with Hamilton, who had started on pole, out of contention throughout and finishing second.

Hamilton later revealed he had damage to the floor of his car that struck on lap four and hampered him thereafter. ‘The car was very different from then on,’ he said. ‘I don’t know how it occurred.’ 

Bottas takes the chequered flag as he completes a dominant victory in the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday

Bottas celebrates making the perfect start to the new season following an outstanding drive in Melbourne on Sunday

Race winner Bottas sprays the champagne as he celebrates on the top step of the podium in Melbourne on Sunday

Bottas lifts the trophy in Melbourne alongside second-placed Lewis Hamilton (left) and Max Verstappen (right) in third

It was the perfect start to the new season for the flying Finn, who celebrates with a clenched first on the podium top step

Hamilton spent the remainder of the 58-lap race trailing team-mate Bottas with the Ferrari and Red Bull cars chasing them

Max Verstappen, who drove well for Red Bull, finished third, right on Hamilton’s tail by the end. The Dutchman had earlier overtaken Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, pushing the German to fourth.

It was a largely uneventful race under a blue sky in Melbourne, though the result was hugely unexpected.

Bottas did not win a race all last season and had very much looked likely to stay as de facto No 2 here when Hamilton put in a nerveless qualifying lap on Saturday to pip the Finn to first spot.

The Briton appeared to get a reasonably clean start – no wheelspin – but was helpless to prevent Bottas going into the first corner, a right-hander where he held the inside line, with the advantage. His margin by the end of the 58 laps was 20 seconds.

Only once in eight years now has the winner of this race come from pole. 

It was the perfect start to the new season for Bottas, the Finn demonstrating that he won’t play second fiddle to Hamilton

Max Verstappen claimed third place on the podium behind the two Mercedes with an encouraging drive for the season ahead

While Hamilton will be disappointed to miss out on a dream start to his title defence, comfort lay in Mercedes’ outright pace. Ferrari’s hopes of taking their pre-season testing advantage into the race evaporated through practice, qualifying and the race itself.

Vettel’s new team-mate Charles Leclerc had an unexceptional first weekend in red. He qualified fifth and finished fifth, despite an unnecessary detour off track.

Melbourne is a one-off circuit, its results often anomalous, so there is some hope of a closer encounter when the circus moves to Bahrain a fortnight hence. 

The Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel in the pit lane in Melbourne during what was a disappointing start to the season for the German

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc holds off Kevin Magnussen of HAAS F1 during the opening race of the F1 season in Australia

The cars jostle for position in the opening couple of corners in Melbourne with the Ferraris of Vettel and Leclerc in front

Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo overtakes during the first turn of the Australian Grand Prix – he would be forced to retire though

Local favourite Daniel Ricciardo, on his Renault debut, went lawn mowing off the start, damaging his front wing. His car was repaired but he later retired.

A mixed day for McLaren – Carlos Sainz chugged to a halt with a bust Renault engine but Lando Norris drove well on his debut to finish 12th. The Brit showed composure and managed to pass Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi after a long and mostly patient hunt.

His compatriot George Russell also impressed, in 16th, a place ahead of Williams team-mate Robert Kubica.

Bottas scored 26 points by taking the extra point newly on offer for the fastest lap.