F1 veteran Felipe Massa enjoyed a strong start to the season with a solid fifth place in Melbourne.
At a circuit which Massa has historically struggled at, the 34-year-old came away with 10 points, eventually beating both Toro Rosso drivers, Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg and teammate Valtteri Bottas.
In terms of the pecking order after the opening round, Williams appear to be the fifth fastest team behind Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and Toro Rosso.
Despite struggling for sheer race pace, Massa was happy to come away with a fifth place finish.
“It was a good race. To finish fifth, scoring some good points, is definitely a good start to the season. The red flag in the middle helped us to keep our strategy to one-stop and, thanks to that, we managed to overtake both Toro Rossos who had decided to go for different tyres.
“That’s why I am happy with the result – and for Valtteri as well, he started P16 and finished P8, so it was a great drive for him.”
Williams sit third in the constructors’ championship on 14 points, one less than Ferrari in second.
