19 Mar 2012

Productive off-season pays off for McLaren in Melbourne

7:21 am on 19 March 2012

The season-opening Australian Grand Prix was a triumph for the McLaren team over Red Bull with Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finishing first and third at Albert Park, and Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber second and fourth.

Button took the lead into the first corner of Melbourne's Albert Park circuit and was never headed, and he's the first driver other than Sebastian Vettel to lead the world championship since 2010, capitalising on a productive off-season with the McLaren team.

Button says every win means a lot and the win shows the team had a strong winter.

The former world champion Kimi Raikkonen finished 7th in his comeback event after two years away from the sport.