Melbourne GP: Valtteri Bottas stuns Lewis Hamilton

Valtteri Bottas nudges out Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to win the Australian GP, as disaster strikes for Daniel Ricciardo.

Race winner Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP celebrates on the podium at Albert Park on Sunday.

Valtteri Bottas has rediscovered his joy of driving and it’s had immediate success as he led Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in a 1-2 finish at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Local Formula One ace Daniel Ricciardo retired, after a disastrous starting grid incident that saw his Renault’s front wing spectacularly ripped off just seconds into the race.

From his starting position of 12th, Ricciardo was forced wide onto the grass as he tried to pass the Racing Point of Sergio Perez when disaster struck.

He was forced into the garage for a replacement wing on the first lap and returned to the pits for good on the 31st lap when he was in 18th position.

Valtteri Bottas leads Lewis Hamilton into turn 6 on lap 1. Picture: Michael Klein

Mercedes was a hot favorite to win in Melbourne after dominating every practice session and qualifying on the first weekend of the season. It was just the finishing order - and the gap of more than 20 seconds - on Sunday that was a surprise.

Bottas was the faithful No. 2 at Mercedes last season, when a combination of mechanical problems and team instructions meant he didn’t win a GP in a season when Hamilton dominated and collected his fifth world drivers’ championship. The 29-year-old Finnish driver held the lap record temporarily at the Albert Park circuit until there were just seconds remaining in qualifying, when Hamilton edged him for the mark and for No. 1 spot on the grid. But Bottas made up for that when he surged to the lead at the first corner and essentially led for the remainder of the 58-lap race to capture his fourth GP victory and his first since Abu Dhabi in 2017.

Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo comes into the pits to replace a broken front wing. Picture: Getty

Max Verstappen was closing in on Hamilton toward the end but the Red Bull driver had to settle for third.

Two-time defending champion Sebastien Vettel started from third on the grid but was overtaken on the outside by Verstappen on the 30th lap and finished fourth, one spot ahead of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton, who started from No. 1 on the grid for the sixth successive year and eighth-time overall in Melbourne, again had to settle for second. Only once in eight years as the fastest qualifier won the Australian GP.

- AP