Lewis Hamilton was in a state of shock as an unlikely victory on debut for Ferrari slipped through his fingers and he finished 10th at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
As late rain played havoc with the field, Ferrari opted to keep Hamilton out while most of the leaders pitted.
A subsequent safety car, with Hamilton pitting for intermediate wet tyres just after being held up, meant the Brit dropped towards the back of the pack.
Hamilton swore over team radio when he was told of his new position of ninth, stating: “That’s an opportunity missed.”
Lando Norris, who was on pole, ended up winning an action-packed race, with Max Verstappen in second and George Russell in third.
Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc almost came together at the end of the race, but the Monegasque finished in eighth while Hamilton finished tenth, taking the final points position.
Hamilton, who started the race in eighth, also got passed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the last lap to cap off a torrid final 15 laps.
More to follow…
