Kimi Antonelli finds 'powerful' ally in helping Mercedes make history

Kimi Antonelli was left breathing a sigh of relief in finishing runner-up to Mercedes team-mate George Russell at the end of the Australian Grand Prix.

Antonelli finished just three seconds adrift of Russell at the end of the 58-lap race at Melbourne's Albert Park to secure the team a first one-two - without Lewis Hamilton - for 71 years.

The young Italian, who had started from second on the grid, and even that was remarkable following his horrific crash in final practice, went backwards at the start, finding himself seventh after the opening lap, but fought his way back to claim second.

"It was the best start [to the season] we could have wished for," said Antonelli with a smile at the end of the race.

"Unfortunately, the start [of the race] was really bad, I lost a lot of places, and I found myself having to recover.

"Overall, it was a good race, the pace was very strong, especially at the end, and now I'm just looking forward to next week."

In this new era of F1, in which battery harvesting and deployment are crucial, and with drivers possessing overtake and boost mode to aid their cause, Antonelli found something to smile about.

"The racing was incredible, the first few laps, with the overtake so powerful that it provided a lot action," he said. "It was really good fun at the beginning, so now a bit of a rest and looking forward to China."