2014 Australian Grand Prix: Top 10 Readers’ Results!

The first Grand Prix of the season in Melbourne was won by Nico Rosberg, followed by Daniel Ricciardo—in reality, disqualified afterwards—and Kevin Magnussen. The rest of the top 10 included, in order, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hülkenberg, Kimi Räikkönen, Jean-Eric Vergne, Daniil Kvyat, and then, due to Ricciardo’s exclusion, Sergio Pérez. Let’s see if you followed the race order…

1st – Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) – 25 points

As expected given his dominance, the Mercedes driver finished in first position. Some of you mentioned in the comments of the top 10 article the strong resemblance of the Mercedes driver’s race with those produced by Sebastian Vettel last year. You also noted his excellent start, although it was aided by Daniel Ricciardo’s average launch and Lewis Hamilton’s power loss.

You also commend his race management and the fact that, even though he has a very high-performance car, he managed to put everything together to win.

2nd – Kevin Magnussen (McLaren) – 18 points

The least that can be said is that the Danish rookie made a strong impression. In his first race at the wheel of a Formula 1, a McLaren no less, and amidst the pack of regulars, he managed to perfectly handle all the parameters to achieve a performance worthy of Lewis Hamilton in 2007: finishing on the podium in his first Grand Prix.

You largely highlight his perfect management of the race, worthy of seasoned veterans, and most of you see Magnussen as a future great in the premier discipline. In any case, some readers point out that he dominated his world champion teammate, Jenson Button, over this weekend.

3rd – Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) – 15 points

You chose to keep the Australian on the podium he stepped on – mistakenly, it seems – before being disqualified from the race due to not complying with the allowed fuel flow rate. This unexpected result impressed you, and you highlight the fact that he dominated Sebastian Vettel. A dominated Vettel, yes, but a Vettel whose car was damaged.

The mount, precisely, of Ricciardo was not a priori compliant, so while some want to see the team’s responsibility, others believe that in the absence of certainty about the compliance of the RB10, it is not possible to grant the Australian a place in their top 10.

4th – Valtteri Bottas (Williams) – 12 points

The Finn will have scored points both literally and figuratively during this Australian Grand Prix. From his race, what you certainly remember is his brush against the wall at the exit of the “Clark” turn; and while some criticize it, others, on the contrary, see it as the main highlight of the spectacle during this race, applauding the comeback of number 77.

One thing is certain, Bottas’s race confirms that the Williams FW36 will be a car to watch this season and that the team from Grove may have the tool for its revival.

5th – Jenson Button (McLaren) – 10 points

The 2009 World Champion’s race was primarily highlighted by the precision of his decisions and the choices made by his pit wall during the stops. Diving into the pit lane at the very last moment during the Safety Car period, he showed the same boldness when he was the first to stop in the second refueling series.

You point out, however, that he was dominated over the weekend by his rookie teammate and that the duel between the two men will need to be watched over the course of the season.

6th – Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) – 8 points

The battle for 5th place in this ranking was tight, but the Spaniard lost it. The Ferrari driver, not very visible, remained stuck behind Nico Hülkenberg for a long time before the blockage was finally cleared during the second pit stop.

If you emphasize the fact that the Ferrari driver has probably not lost any of his determination, you cannot help but wonder about the level of the F14-T. Nevertheless, for you, the damage is limited.

7th – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 6 points

Despite his race lasting only three laps, due to a cylinder issue with the Mercedes turbo V6, you chose to reward the Briton’s strong weekend, who achieved pole position on Saturday, the 32nd of his career, in wet conditions.

8th – Nico Hülkenberg (Force India) – 4 points

A reliable force in the peloton, the German delivered a solid race at the wheel of a VJM07 that seemed slightly off the pace. He kept Alonso—and the rest of a small, very Italian train—at bay for a long time before having to give up his spot following the final pit stop. He couldn’t withstand Bottas’s late-race surge in the Grand Prix.

You mainly emphasize the fact that he continues on his momentum from the end of the 2013 season and that Pérez might already have cause for concern.

9th – Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) – 2 points

Mixed feelings, this is how the Grand Prix and even the weekend of the Finn could be summarized, constantly struggling with balance issues on his car, causing him brake problems that were more than borderline. A qualifying session ended with an accident and an anonymous Grand Prix relegated him relatively far in your ranking, but like Alonso, valuable points fall into Iceman’s hands.

10th – Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) – 1 point

The only one of the three French drivers classified at the finish of the Grand Prix, “JEV” did not miss his first race, achieving an excellent qualification in conditions where he excels and delivering a solid performance despite being marked by two mistakes: the first in the last corner where he skillfully recovers but has to let Bottas pass, and the second when he misses his braking and allows Räikkönen to overtake him at the end of the race.

He finishes just ahead of his very young teammate but within the points. He is also the first representative of the Red Bull clan and the Renault clan in the official standings following the disqualification of someone who was once his partner.

Outside the top 10, no words, just a ranking:

11th – Daniil Kvyat

12th – Sebastian Vettel

13th – Felipe Massa

14th – Romain Grosjean

15th – Sergio Pérez

16th – Pastor Maldonado

17th – Kamui Kobayashi

18th – Jules Bianchi

19th – Max Chilton / Adrian Sutil

21st – Marcus Ericsson

22nd – Esteban Gutierrez

Thank you all for voting in such large numbers (238 forms were filled out) and see you on Sunday, March 30th to elect the top 10 of the 2014 Malaysian Grand Prix!