Australian GP: Massa secures points for Williams Martini

In the leadup to Sunday's 2017 Australian Grand Prix it was confirmed that the Williams Martini team had been handed a suspended fine for a failure to notify the FIA that they had replaced Lance's gearbox. Another drivers to get a grid penalty would be Ricciardo for a gearbox change. But Ricciardo's race would end before it even started when he was to stop out on the track as he was completing laps prior to taking his spot on the grid. His car would be put on a recovery truck and taking back to the pits. On pole was Hamilton followed by Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Grosjean, the first of the Williams with Felipe Massa, Sainz, Kvyat and Perez. There was a possibility that he could start from the pit lane.

Lance Stroll would start from last in his first Formula One race and he would start the race on the super soft tyre. The top ten were all on used ultra soft tyres while outside the top ten there was a mixture of new ultra soft, soft, and super soft tyres. The grid would move away and complete their formation lap. Hamilton would return to pole and with the grid formed up the lights would go out and it would be an aborted start and the cars would leave the grid for another formation lap seeing the race drop to fifty seven laps. The grid would again form up and this time we would have a start with Hamilton leading Vettel and Bottas. Felipe would make up a place running in sixth while Ericsson and Magnussen would go off the track. Lance was now running fourteenth behind Ocon. Magnussen would pit with a puncture.

Ricciardo would finally get out of the pit lane but was two laps down. Vettel was 0.6 behind Hamilton while Felipe was running by himself 1.9 seconds behind Verstappen. Hamilton would say that he was struggling for grip. Lance would pit on lap seven coming back out on the ultra soft tyre. Replays would show him locking up going into Turn one at the start maybe forcing his stop. Lance would return in eighteenth. Felipe was still sixth but was losing time to Verstappen. It was confirmed by Williams that Lance had flat spotted his right front and was forced to change it. Felipe was running in the 1m:30s while those in front were in the 1m:29s. Lance would pass Ericsson using his DRS and was now sixteenth. He would move up to fifteen with other driver pit stops. Lance was closing onto the Sauber of Giovinazzi while at the front Hamilton was leading Vettel by 1.6 seconds after lap fourteen.

Grosjean would pit from seventh but he would retire in the pits with what appeared to be an engine component failure. This would see Lance move up to fourteenth. Felipe was now twelve seconds behind Verstappen but was over five seconds ahead of Sainz. Giovinazzi would pit seeing Lance released as Hulkenberg pitted returning in twelfth. Hamilton would pit on lap nineteen returning in fifth running on the soft tyre. Perez would pit while Sainz would pit on lap twenty. Lance was now thirteen and Felipe was still sixth. But he would pit on lap twenty two returning in seventh running on the super soft tyre. Vettel would pit on lap twenty five seeing Bottas leading. He would return in third running on the soft tyre.

Vettel would come out in front of Verstappen and Hamilton. This would see Vettel effectively leading the race as Ericsson retired stopping at the side of the track. Felipe was now seventh and Lance thirteenth with twenty six laps completed. Bottas and Verstappen would pit on lap twenty seven seeing Raikkonen leading and Vettel second. Bottas was on the soft tyre and Verstappen the super soft tyres. Raikkonen would pit on lap twenty eight seeing Vettel leading from Hamilton and Bottas. Raikkonen was now fourth followed by Verstappen, Kvyat, Felipe, Perez, Sainz, and Alonso tenth. Lance was running in thirteenth but was several seconds behind Hulkenberg. Ricciardo would retire stopping out on the track at Turn four with an engine failure. Lance would pit again taking on a new set of ultra soft tyres for his run to the flag. Kvyat would pit seeing Felipe move back into sixth a considerable margin behind Verstappen.

Lap forty one and Vettel was leading Hamilton by 9.2 seconds with Bottas 2.4 seconds behind his team-mate. Raikkonen was fourth followed by Verstappen, Felipe, Perez, Sainz, Kvyat, and Alonso tenth. Lance was still in thirteenth and was the fastest through the speed trap. Lance would go off at Turn 14 having to go across the gravel and would drop to fifteenth and would be forced to pit and would retire. Six laps remaining and Felipe was still sixth and looking to score their first points for Williams Martini in 2017. Kvyat would pit late in the race having to have the engine air system topped up. Ocon would pass Alonso for tenth with Hulkenberg also able to pass the McLaren. Alonso had dropped to twelfth while at the front Vettel was easily leading Hamilton. Alonso would retire his car in the pit lane on lap fifty five.

The race would come to an end with Vettel taking victory in the 2017 Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton would be second followed by team-mate Bottas. Raikkonen was fourth followed by Verstappen, Felipe, Perez, Sainz, Kvyat, and Ocon. Felipe would secure the Williams Martini teams first points in what was an uneventful race for the Brazilian. For Lance his race was one a simple rookie mistakes but it was disappointing to see him forced into retirement. He will certainly improve over the season. It was later confirmed that Lance had a brake disk issue which forced him to retire.