MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen won Formula One’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, serving notice that his team could challenge its bigger rivals for the 2013 championship.
The Finn took the lead for good on lap 43 of 58 in a race that had seven different leaders.
Fernando Alonso of Ferrari was second, while pole sitter and three-time reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel was third in a Red Bull that struggled to preserve its tires.
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was fourth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton in his first race for Mercedes and Mark Webber of Red Bull.
Force India pair Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta were seventh and eighth, ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button and Lotus’ Romain Grosjean.
