Sebastian Vettel, Formula 1

Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Formula 1 opened the titledefense, most important the perfect race, ahead of McLaren Lewis Hamilton towin the opportunity Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Preliminary from pole location, Vettel kept his lead afterthe first turn and had already opened a gap of more than 2 seconds over Hamilton, following thefirst round and lead the Germans have never been dangerously exposed.

Renault Vitaly Petrov was a surprise third, claiming hisfirst podium with a strong show.

Vettel, who hired two stop approach on new tires Pirelli,made his first pit stop to change the soft rubber in the 14-lap, consequentialin third place to the front of McLaren in JB. He restored the lead two lapslater when Hamiltonmade a tire change and never looked back, eventually winning by more than 22seconds.

"It's great," he radioed to his team after thecheckered flag. "Excellent machine. Excellent stop."

Fernando Alonso done 4th, while Australian Mark Webber was 5^thand how to use a three-stop strategy - one more than the podium finishers.

Button was sixth, behind in his quest to win the race forthe third consecutive year. He had to do drivethrough penalty after using thebest grip to pass Ferrari Felipe Massa at the beginning of the race, and thatcost him a shot in the third.

Sauber's Sergio Perez has been impressive seventh in hisfirst Grand Prix, surprising only to the well once. He finished ahead ofteammate Kamui Kobayashi, and Massawas ninth and Toro Rosso Sebastien Buemi took the last point in the 10 th.

It was a bad day for Mercedes, with both Michael Schumacherand Nico Rosberg did not finish.

"I had a good start, of which quite a few positions, itwas a good run into turn three, but as I was in, someone (Jaime Alguersuari)knocked on my rear right," Schumacher said. "The result was I had apuncture, which destroyed the right bus, and returned to the pits mostlydestroyed the right word. In the end the team decided for safety that youshould not stay out."

Hamiltonalso damaged the floor of his car when he went wide on turn one of itsthirty-second range. He continued, although the team warned him late to nursethe car into second, and not try to fight for the leadership.