Norris leads F1 standings after slippery Melbourne GP

After 1 029 consecutive days of Max Verstappen leading the Formula One world drivers championship, Lando Norris now leads this order for his first day after winning the F1 season opener in Melbourne, Australia yesterday. “To start a season off like this with a win is good enough, but to do it in such a stressful race – one where it's so easy to make a mistake, so easy to ruin everything so quickly ... It could all have gone wrong within any second of the race.“You lock up, you hit the white line wrong, you have a big snap – it was just very difficult at times not to go into a wall or a tyre barrier,” Norris (team McLaren) said in the FIA press conference after the race. The 25-year-old British driver also reflected on the team's improvement in strategy determinations, crediting this as a factor in his win. “We got it wrong a lot last year, so I guess we learnt from our mistakes. We worked a lot over the winter to prepare for a race like this, because it's where we threw away a lot of oppourtunities last season – Canada, Silverstone – where we were not the best at preparing and knowing how decisive we've got to be and today we were very decisive,” he said. Reigning world champion Verstappen, who ended in second place yesterday, shared Norris’ sentiment about the tricky conditions brought about by rainy weather. “It was a difficult race – at the end it was fun. Lando had a little moment on entry of Turn 6, so he lost a little momentum there. And this is, let's say, a decent starting point for us,” says Verstappen. The strategy to pit for intermediate tyres after Norris, is a decision that Verstappen expressed no remorse over. “Even if we had boxed one lap earlier, we still would have ended up in position 2," he says. The Dutch driver also has no qualms about the RB21 he hopes to drive to his fifth championship this year. "It is the way I expected it to be,” he says. For Mercedes' George Russel, a third-place finish was satisfactory yesterday, with the Briton saying: “I think it was clear early on that these guys [McLaren and Red Bull] were too quick for us and that we were quicker than the Ferrari, so I was kind of in no-man's land and then I just made the decision quite early on that the best way to approach this race is just to bring it home, because if I risked it more, there would be no more reward," he says. TeenagerRussel's teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 18, became the second-youngest F1 driver in history to score points yesterday, behind only Verstappen. Antonelli managed a spectacular recovery drive on his F1 debut starting from 16th on the grid and finishing fourth. Antonelli was initially demoted to fifth due to a penalty for unsafe release, but his position was reinstated after the stewards retracted their decision following an appeal during which footage from Antonelli's roll-hoop camera and aerial footage was reviewed. "I was happy with how we managed everything from start to finish and to come home P4, having started P16, is really positive. I definitely can't complain about how my debut race in F1 has gone," Antonelli said.The Italian is one of two season rookies who managed to complete the race. Oliver Bearman at Haas also managed this, despite limited run time in the practice and qualifying sessions. Disappointment Carlos Sainz, who made his debut with Williams this weekend, delivered top class performances during the practice and qualifying sessions, but was ultimately disappointed after crashing on lap 2 under safety car conditions. “For me, we’ve looked at the data and could quickly spot what happened, so this leaves me calmer about the situation ... I’m obviously frustrated about it and feel sorry for everyone in the team. I spent the rest of the race trying to help on the radio and I’m happy I could at least participate in that way. “Thankfully the Chinese GP is already next weekend and I can’t wait to jump back in the car," the Spaniard said in the team's post-race statement. The Safety Car under which Sainz's race ended was brought about by the Australian driver, Jack Doohan, who raced his home race for the first time in F1 this weekend, but was left dispirited following a crash on lap 1. &bull; Isack Hadjar failed to make his race debut for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, after crashing out in turn 2 of the formation lap, resulting in an aborted start.Hadjar, who on F1 broadcasts appeared to be crying in his crash helmet, shared his appreciation for the support showed by Lewis Hamilton's father, Anthony. “It means a lot knowing that he knew where I was, how bad I felt, to go and see me in the worst moment ever. I think it's nice just from him. I really appreciate that," he said of Hamilton senior. The president and CEO of F1, Stefano Domenicali, also paid Hadjar a visit of support. The F1 championship continues this weekend in Shanghai, China. – irene-mari@nmh-hub.com.na

Norris leads F1 standings after slippery Melbourne GP

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Norris leads F1 standings after slippery Melbourne GP

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