SHANGHAI: The 2013 Formula One season so far, ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday:
Australian Grand Prix - March 17
Kimi Raikkonen upstaged the established order to claim a resounding victory for Lotus in the season-opener in Melbourne.
The taciturn Finn roared off from seventh on the starting grid and employed only a two-stop strategy to take the race from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Alonso’s team-mate Felipe Massa of Brazil was fourth with Lewis Hamilton, making his Mercedes debut after his high-profile defection from McLaren, fifth. Vettel’s team-mate Mark Webber came home in sixth.
Standings: Raikkonen 25 pts, Alonso 18, Vettel 15
Malaysian Grand Prix - March 24
Vettel incensed Webber and ignited a team orders row as he ignored Red Bull’s strict instructions and pulled off a risky overtaking move to snatch victory.
The German ace went wheel-to-wheel with Webber late in the race, earning a stern rebuke from team principal Christian Horner, before emerging in front and taking his 27th win, putting him on top of the early championship standings.
Third-placed Hamilton’s first podium for Mercedes was also tainted after team orders reining in team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Standings: Vettel 40, Raikkonen 31, Webber 26.
