Throwback: Lewis Hamilton Fending Off Fernando Alonso Despite Facing Tire Issues In Melbourne 2013

The season opener at Melbourne in 2013 was a race to remember. The race had a lot of memorable moments but the most remarkable was Lewis Hamilton defending against a much powerful Ferrari of Fernando Alonso. The Briton put on a spectacular show despite having issues with his tires. Although Alonso did manage to get past him, the drive is definitely worth a watch.

Highlights of The Race

It was the last time a non-Mercedes/ Ferrari/ Redbull driver won a Formula One Grand Prix. Kimi Raikonnen drove home his Lotus in first place followed by Fernando Alonso in Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel in RedBull.

Vettel was the pole sitter of the race and had a 2-second lead just after the 1st lap. However, the Ferrari’s of Alonso and Masa soon caught up. Despite starting from the pole Vettel fell behind after the first pit stop, got struck behind Alonso and had to settle for the third place. However, Vettel will get back at Fernando by the season’s end, beating him for the World Drivers’ Championship title by 155 points.

Notably, The win at Australia was the twentieth of Räikkönen’s career, tying him with Finnish compatriot Mika Häkkinen. And it was also his last until the 2018 United States Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton Managed to Fend Off Alonso Despite Having Tire Issues

Although, Lewis Hamilton had to settle for a fifth-place on the grid and was never a contender for the win. He sure gave us some memorable on-track action with his ex-teammate Alonso. Mercedes and Hamilton, having realized that they did not have the pace of front runners decided to pit early and go for a two-stop strategy.

After the front runners went into the pits, Hamilton was driving at P2 behind race leader Kimi. But the team started noticing some tire issues and Hamilton’s teammate Rosberg had to retire. Alonso quickly hunted down Hamilton despite his best efforts. And overtook him on lap 32 after an incredible defensive drive from Hamilton. The Briton flat-spotted his tires and needed to pit quickly, rejoined in the 6th place.