Nico Rosberg claims season-opening Australian Grand Prix win with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton second as Fernando Alonso miraculously escapes unhurt following dramatic crash
- Nico Rosberg claimed victory for Mercedes in F1's season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park
- Rosberg finished ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who came second, and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel
- Rosberg's switch to mediums proved vital as Ferrari were made to pay for their choice of tyres in Melbourne
- One of the most dramatic crashes in the history of Formula One stopped the Australian Grand Prix dead
- Fernando Alonso tottered out of the broken wreckage of his car after colliding with Esteban Gutierrez
One of the most dramatic crashes in the history of Formula One stopped the Australian Grand Prix dead. But, miraculously, Fernando Alonso tottered out of the broken wreckage of his car.
Pieces of carbon fibre were scattered like confetti across the Albert Park track. His McLaren was not a crumpled mess; it had almost vanished off the face of the earth. Just the cockpit remained defiantly separating the Spaniard from this place and the next life.
It occurred 18 laps into a race that unfolded entirely in a way that nobody would have predicted, even if it ended with a Mercedes one-two, Nico Rosberg finishing ahead of world champion Lewis Hamilton. Sebastian Vettel, of Ferrari, was third.
McLaren's Fernando Alonso (right) collides with Esteban Gutierrez (left) during lap 18 of the season-opening race in Melbourne
Mexico's Gutierrez spun out on the track before landing on the gravel - though Alonso spun out of control and towards the barriers
Alonso is unable to avoid a heavy impact into the barriers at the Australian Grand Prix following his collision with Mexican Gutierrez
Alonso admitted he was 'lucky to be alive' after losing control of his vehicle and smashing into the barriers during the 18th lap
Footage shows Alonso's car flipping in mid-air but somehow the Spaniard managed to walk away with no serious injuries
Alonso and his McLaren fly towards another barrier at high speed during the opening race of the new Formula One season
Alonso, the Spanish driver, miraculously escapes the dramatic crash and climbs out of his McLaren car with debris everywhere
Alonso climbs out of his car and watches on with shock as Gutierrez remains seated in his Haas car at Albert Park on Sunday
Nico Rosberg
Lewis Hamilton
Daniel Ricciardo 
Felipe Massa
Romain Grosjean
Valtteri Bottas
Carlos Sainz Jr
Max Verstappen
Kevin Magnussen
Sergio Pérez
Marcus Ericsson
Rio Haryanto
Daniil Kvyat
Back to the accident: Alonso, trying to pass the Haas car of Esteban Gutierrez at 200mph, misjudged the move, his right front wheel catching the rear left of his prey.
He hit the Rolex sign on the left of the track going into turn three. His car did two full rotations across a gravel trap, the second more vertical than the flat first one, and ended up pinned against the tyre wall. His car resembled a swotted fly on a window.
We held our breath barely daring to believe that from this scene of mayhem a human life could emerge
Gutierrez, whose car was significantly less damaged, waited anxiously like the rest of us. He and Alonso embraced each other. The Spaniard, moving a little gingerly at first, soon found a surer stride and waved to the crowds. The race was red-flagged for 20 minutes.
Among many other things, Alonso's survival was a statement on the safety improvements in Formula One. Sir Jackie Stewart, the sport's original and most determined safety exponent, was in the paddock here.
Alonso could well have raised a glass in the Scotsman's direction, as well as to the memory of Professor Sid Watkins, who attended to the dying Ayrton Senna at Imola and oversaw a revolution in driver protection during Max Mosley's presidency of the FIA.
Gutierrez eventually climbs out of his Haas car after escaping unscathed too as Alonso takes a moment to get his breath back
Gutierrez (right) approaches Alonso and they shake hands after colliding during lap 18 of the first race of the new Formula One season
The Formula One drivers embrace in a hug (left) before leaving the track to receive medical treatment following their dramatic collision
Alonso of Spain talks with race officials after the crash during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne
The two-time world champion was in shock following his dramatic crash but fortunately escaped unscathed after crashing into barriers
The 34-year-old Spaniard acknowledges the crowd while he is applauded for climbing out of his wrecked McLaren car unscathed
The wreckage of Alonso's McLaren car by the side of the track following the collision during Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix
The wrecked McLaren car is removed from the gravel with the help of a track official and the race was briefly brought to a halt
To the relief of everyone, Alonso escaped the dramatic crash and was pictured walking around his team garage during the race
The race was hardly dull, even before Alonso went airborne. The first great surprise of the season came on the grid. Hamilton, who started on pole, got off to a terrible start.
He was jumped by the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, then squeezed further back as Nico Rosberg, who was alongside him on the grid but had immediately shot past him, came across on the outside of the first corner. Hamilton caught the left rear wheel of his team-mate and lost part of his own wing. He went down to sixth.
He breezed past Felipe Massa three laps later, but was then stuck behind Max Verstappen. 'I can't get ahead of his guy,' he said. At the front Vettel led from Raikkonen and Rosberg, prior to the first round of stops, which were still playing out when Alonso went pop.
While the race was suspended, all the teams could put on new tyres. Mercedes went for the more durable mediums, while Ferrari went for the faster but less hard-wearing super-softs.
Could Mercedes, in the form of Rosberg, who went second after Raikkonen retired with smoke billowing out above his head, last to the end? If so, they would win on the grounds that Vettel would need to stop again and they would not. The pit straight is a long one here and eats up a lot of time.
Nico Rosberg (centre) celebrates after beating Lewis Hamilton (left) and Sebastian Vettel (right) to win the Australian Grand Prix
Mercedes driver Rosberg celebrates on the podium after claiming victory in the opening race of the season at Albert Park in Melbourne
Rosberg crosses the line as the chequered flag is waved at the Australian Grand Prix, with the German securing a victory
The 30-year-old waves to his supporters after claiming a well-earned victory in an action-packed Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne
Rosberg is congratulated by his Mercedes team after claiming victory ahead of team-mate Hamilton in the season-opening race
World champion Hamilton congratulates his Mercedes team-mate following the conclusion of the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne
Vettel really needed to open up a significant advantage at the front, or hope for Mercedes's tyres to fall off a cliff towards the end of the race. The first had not happened by the time Vettel pulled into the pits, for what turned out to be a tardy change, his lead was only three seconds. He returned to the fray in fourth place. Rosberg now led, Daniel Ricciardo was second and Hamilton third.
The world champion was breathing down the Aussie's neck and passed him 15 laps from the end. Now only Rosberg was ahead of him, the gap standing at 9.9sec. He made made little inroad on that. Vettel veered off track as he was closing on Hamilton in the penultimate lap to miss out on second.
A word of congratulation to Jolyon Palmer, who was making his debut for Renault. He showed a tenacious reluctance to let anyone pass. In a slow car, he held off the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz for quite some time. He was finally passed, but he had put down a marker. He finished 11th.
Credit to Haas as well, whose debut race finished with their man Romain Grosjean in sixth place.
Rosberg's victory – his fourth in a row going back to last season – means that Hamilton does not lead the driver's championship for the first time since September, 2014. Yet.
Third-place Vettel congratulates his compatriot after Rosberg claimed victory despite the Ferrari driver leading the way early on
The German, who played second fiddle to Hamilton last season, was in buoyant mood as he got off to the perfect start in 2016
The German's delight is for all to see as he proudly holds his trophy aloft following his victory at Albert Park
In true Formula One style, Rosberg sprays champagne everywhere during his post-race celebrations in Melbourne
Rosberg closes his eyes in preparation for the champagne which is sprayed in his face while on the podium in Melbourne
Hamilton, who started the race on pole position, had to make do with a second-place finish following his poor start on Sunday
Vettel, who came third in his Ferrari despite leading the race, joins in on the celebrations by spraying champagne on the teams
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-3501068/Nico-Rosberg-claims-season-opening-Australian-Grand-Prix-win-world-champion-Lewis-Hamilton-forced-settle-second-place.html
