Main rival Ferrari struggled in Melbourne, unable to get enough load on at the front of the car. This compromised set-up and didn’t allow the SF90 to exploit the performance of the tyres.

Mercedes faced one of its long-standing demons head on: It was able to switch on the tyres and keep them in their working range. This can be attributed to their car being well-suited to the track and conditions but it’s also worth noting that the team brought forward a number of updates intended for the Chinese GP to help it unlock the W10’s potential.