Formula 1 results: Sebastian Vettel wins 2017 Australian Grand Prix, plus full finishing order

Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari has won the first race of the 2017 Formula One season, taking first in the Australian Grand Prix. Vettel qualified in second behind Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, but worked a better pit strategy and ultimately finished well ahead of Hamilton, who took second place.

The other podium finisher was Valtteri Bottas, also of Mercedes, who was gaining on his teammate as the race came to a close but ultimately had to settle for third.

At the start of the race, Hamilton got off the line extremely well and he was quickly putting some time between himself and Vettel. The Ferrari kept things close though, not letting Hamilton get any separation. Eventually, when Hamilton was called in at the start of Lap 18, Ferrari took their chance.

Vettel went all out, and when he himself eventually came in for a pit, he came out ahead of Hamilton — who was all the way back behind teammate Bottas, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Hamilton eventually got past those three and behind Vettel, but by the time he positioned himself in second place, he trailed Vettel by nearly eight seconds. And after Bottas went in for a pit, he started to catch up to his teammate as well. Bottas was the fastest man on the track after his pit stop.

Hamilton was never able to catch up to Vettel. The Mercedes might be slightly faster, but not fast enough to make up that kind of deficit. The battle for 10th place really heated up on Lap 52, when Estaban Ocon fought off Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg to stay out front.

Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull, the home favorite, started the race two laps down due to car issues. Unfortunately, he only made it a few laps before he was out of the race. Roman Grosjean of Haas was the next driver to start the race to go out when smoke poured from his car on Lap 15.

Jolyon Palmer of Renault also had to retire a few laps later, on Lap 19, with a brakes issue. Lance Stroll, in his first ever race in Formula 1, was forced to retire on Lap 45 with car issues .

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (+9.975)
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes (11.250)
4. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (+22.393)
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull (+28.827)
6. Felipe Massa, Williams (+1:23.386)
7. Sergio Perez, Force India (+1 LAP)
8. Carlos Sainz, Toro Rosso (+1 LAP)
9. Danil Kvyat, Toro Rosso (+1 LAP)
10. Esteban Ocon, Force India (+1 LAP)
11. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault (+1 LAP)
12. Antonio Giovinazzi, Sauber (+2 LAPS)
13. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren (+2 LAPS)
14. Fernando Alonso, McLaren (OUT)
15. Kevin Magnussen, Haas (OUT)
16. Lance Stroll, Williams (OUT)
17. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull (OUT)
18. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber (OUT)
19. Jolyon Palmer, Renault (OUT)
20. Romain Grosjean, Haas (OUT)