Nico Rosberg won Australian Grand Prix 2016

Ferrari seized control at the start of Sunday 2016 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix, but a mid-race stoppage after a huge accident involving Fernando Alonso turned the race on its head, helping Mercedes Nico Rosberg to what had looked an unlikely victory. Team mate Lewis Hamilton recovered from a nightmare start to finish second, while Sebastian Vettel who led into Turn 1 and looked very much in charge prior to the red flags had to settle for third after 57 laps of Albert Park.

Local hero Daniel Ricciardo took a popular fourth place for Red Bull, well clear of the Williams of Felipe Massa, while Romain Grosjean gave the all new Haas team points on their debut with sixth. Force India Nico Hulkenberg, Williams Valtteri Bottas, and the Toro Rosso duo of Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen completed the top ten, with Renault Jolyon Palmer narrowly missing out on a point in his Maiden Grand Prix.

McLaren Alonso and Haas Esteban Gutierrez meanwhile were thankfully able to walk away from a huge crash at Turn 3 which caused the red flags to fly on lap 19. Up until that moment it was Ferrari who held the cards, Vettel and Raikkonen having burst between the two Silver Arrows to snatch a one two away from the start.

Massa was an uneventful fifth, while behind Grosjean sprang a sensation in sixth, giving Haas points in their debut race. Sergio Perez was 13^th for Force India, while Jenson Button looked good early on but faded to 14^th for McLaren. Felipe Nasr could not repeat 2015 fifth place for Sauber and finished 15^th as team mate Marcus Ericsson retired with transmission problems. Red Bull Daniel Kvyat hit problems and retired even before getting to the grid.