It has been a long, long time coming! But Ferrari are back on top, on sheer pace. Probably the time since 2012, at least. The winter testing was promising, but finally, today we saw the SF70H live up to its potential. Mercedes can play around with their infamous engine modes to get the best out of qualifying, but it was clear from the start that Vettel had the pace; Hamilton couldn't drop him at all.
Was Lewis unlucky with the strategy? I don't think so, it was a conscious decision. Had Ferrari pitted earlier they would have surely got the undercut, and a cascade of cars would be forced to pit.
Fantastic stuff from Bottas, to finish within a second or two of Hamilton on his very first race. Could be worthy replacement for Rosberg. Kimi was a bit off the pace, but it was encouraging to see Verstappen keep in touch. Better strategy from Red Bull.
Poor Honey Badger, it was a pure case of Murphy's law this time!
And you gotta feel for Fernando. He's the best driver on the grid in perhaps the worst car. He was convinced Ferrari would never beat Mercedes. Look where things are now. Fernando at the back of the grid, his replacement right in front. The bloke will keep fighting but I'm afraid this man deserves a Mercedes or a Ferrari.
The new cars look stunning, especially going around the corners. There's nothing quite like it! The Mercedes looks like a mess with all the appendages though, although it's clearly faster than the surprisingly clean Red Bull. I suppose Ferrari have got the best of both worlds here. All of this is great, but I'm afraid there's not going to be much overtaking this year with the strong emphasis on aerodynamics.
What do you folks think?