F1 Today | Mercedes seals one-two in Melbourne as Marko hints at Verstappen’s mood

The British driver confirmed Mercedes’ superiority in race trim as well after the devastating pole he had secured on Saturday, when he put a staggering eight tenths between himself and the third-placed car, with his teammate lining up alongside him on the front row.

His march to victory, however, proved more challenging than expected. Both Ferraris got an excellent launch off the line, with Leclerc seizing the lead of the race while Hamilton slotted in right behind him.

Leclerc and Russell then engaged in a fierce fight for the lead until the VSC was deployed, allowing Mercedes to play the winning card with a double-stack pit stop while Ferrari chose to keep both cars out on track.

The gap that opened up afterwards allowed the Brit to manage the race with relative ease, with Antonelli sealing Mercedes’ first one-two finish of the season.

The Austrian watched a Grand Prix from home for the first time since stepping away from Red Bull Racing. Speaking exclusively to GPblog, the former advisor explained how he experienced the race weekend from the other side of the screen.

For the first time in more than two decades, Marko was absent from the Red Bull pit wall. Watching from his home in Graz, Austria, the 82-year-old followed the action closely and admitted the experience was rather different from what he had been used to for so many years. He described it as a relaxing way to follow the race, adding that the opening stages were particularly exciting and that he even kept an eye on the Formula 2 action. Despite enjoying the experience, however, he made it clear that he does not miss being at the track.

Red Bull, meanwhile, had little to celebrate in the first race without him in the garage. Verstappen could do no better than sixth place, and Marko admitted he could understand the Dutchman’s frustration. Although the two had not spoken after the race, Marko said Verstappen’s reaction was clear enough from the expression on his face.