Mercedes secures third and fourth positions in the Formula One season opener in Australia after challenging an untelevised penalty.

Mercedes made the call to replace Lewis Hamilton with young phenom Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and the 18-year-old dazzled in his debut, finishing fourth in challenging conditions after starting in P16. For a moment it looked as if Antonelli would be demoted to fifth due to a five-second penalty that was assessed for an unsafe release,

The F1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix was certainly a memorable one, as six drivers failed to finish and one – Isack Hadjar – failed to even reach the start, spinning into the wall on the second corner of the warm-up lap.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli suffered a major floor damage after going off track during the Australian Grand Prix qualifying.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli classified P5 at the Australian Grand Prix after a 5-second penalty was applied due to an unsafe release in the pit lane. However, the 18-year-old debutant has been restored to P4 after a successful appeal from Mercedes.