Pop Buzz UK

The Formula 1 season started on Sunday in Australia and despite not winning, Lewis Hamilton was the man making all the headlines in yesterday’s newspapers. The season kicked off with a traditional and dominating win for the Ferrari team, just with different personnel in the driving seat than the last few years. With Michael Schumacher’s retirement, it was left to his replacement Kimi Raikonnen to lead the Italian giants to victory. But the Finn’s drive was overshadowed by Lewis Hamilton, who made one of the most impressive Formula One debuts for years as he took third place.

Raikonnen led the race from beginning to end as the dominance of Ferrari continued into the new season. Last year’s world champion and McLaren superstar Fernando Alonso came in second place, only just edging out his team mate Hamilton in the final pitstops. Raikonnen’s drive and the superiority of his car over the rest of the field around Melbourne’s Albert Park intensified his position as clear favourite for this year’s title.
“We didn’t need to really push as hard as we could have,” Raikkonen said. “My biggest problem was the radio, it stopped working just before the start, It is a special moment with a new team, everything is new, to win in the first race.
“I am really happy with the team and the way things are going. It couldn’t be any better than it is now.”

Hamilton meanwhile had an incredible debut, and what was clearly the performance of the day. The 22 year old passed Alonso at the start and maintained his 2nd place until the first round of stops. He was the first driver to finish on the podium on his debut since Jacques Villeneuve was second to Williams team-mate Damon Hill in Melbourne in 1996.
“To lead in my first Grand Prix was a fantastic feeling,” Hamilton said. “It’s pretty tough when you have a two-times world champion behind you.”

The rest of the British drivers fared less well, with Jenson Button in 15th, Anthony Davidson in 16th and the fading David Coulthard retiring. So it’s left to the new and potential future superstar of F1 to carry the British flag. Hamilton is also the first black driver to make it all the way to the top of the motorsport tree, having competed at all levels from carting all the way through to GP2 before McLaren snapped him up for the big time. This looks like surely being the first of many podium finishes for Hamilton and let’s hope it’s not too long a wait for his first win.

Lewis Hamilton, Lewis, Hamilton, Grand Prix, Australian, Formula 1, Formula One, F1, ITV, Melbourne, Australia, Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikonnen, Ferrari, McLaren, Fernando Alonso, Williams, Jacques Villeneuve, Damon Hill, Jenson Button, Anthony Davidson, David Coulthard, GP2