Australian GP Shows Ferrari Can Replace Red Bull as Mercedes' Closest Challenger

Sebastian Vettel scored a third-place finish in his Ferrari debut at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, confirming the Italian team's strong preseason showing.

The Melbourne race, which kicked off the 2015 Formula One season, might also have confirmed a changing of the guard at the front end of the grid. Last year, after four straight championship seasons, Red Bull were Mercedes' closest challengers, winning three races and finishing second in the constructors' standings.

But now, as the Bulls continue to struggle with unreliable and under-powered Renault engines, Ferrari have made a huge leap forward. Along with Williams, Ferrari are set to replace Red Bull as the team to push Mercedes.

Dan Istitene/Getty Images

A disappointing 2014 for Ferrari—two podiums, no victories and fourth in the constructors' championship—tempered expectations at the team's Maranello factory. Meanwhile, the Scuderia also undertook a culling of their personnel, starting with bringing in a new team principal in Maurizio Arrivabene and a new No. 1 driver in Vettel.

After just one race, the results look very positive. Not only did Vettel finish third, but his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen looked set for a fourth- or fifth-place finish before a problem attaching one of his wheels at a pit stop ended his race. In 2014, the Finn had one top-five finish all season.

Arrivabene is already thinking bigger, saying, per the Ferrari website:

"

I’m only half happy today, because the real joy comes when you win. I am happy about the podium and for Seb, but above all I am pleased for the team, because this is a good starting point, although it’s definitely not the end of the road. ... But now we have realised we can do well, we must begin to stop thinking about being 'second best' and start aiming higher.

"

At the same time, Mercedes' advantage cannot be underestimated. At the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg won the race by 26.777 seconds from McLaren's Kevin Magnussen (after Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified). On Sunday, Rosberg was second to Lewis Hamilton but more than 30 seconds ahead of Vettel.

"They had a huge advantage last year and I think they did a good job in increasing that advantage for this year," Vettel noted in the post-race press conference. "It will be difficult but not impossible for us and the rest to catch up."

Mercedes' biggest advantage in 2014 came from their dominant power unit, and that is the area where Ferrari may have taken their biggest step.

In addition to the factory team's successful performance, their engine customer, Sauber, scored more points in Australia than at any race since the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, Red Bull and their Renault engines are moving in the opposite direction. Daniel Ricciardo finished sixth, stuck behind Sauber's Felipe Nasr for most of the race, while Daniil Kvyat did not even start the race due to a gearbox problem.

"I mean Sauber, all respect to them, but I doubt they’ve found that much on their chassis between last year and this year because most of it’s the same," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner complained, per Sky Sports' Mike Wise and James Galloway.

Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

"It’s frustrating that we’re effectively even further back than we were in Abu Dhabi in both power and driveability.

"Ferrari have made a good step. Renault, at this stage, appear to have made a retrograde step."

When Mercedes faltered in 2014, Red Bull were ready to pounce and Ricciardo collected three opportunistic race wins. Ferrari (and Williams—Felipe Massa finished a close fourth to Vettel in Melbourne) will be in that position this year.

Arrivabene's predecessor as Ferrari team principal, Marco Mattiacci, told Sky Sports' Martin Brundle last year that the team was working on a three-year plan to return to the top of F1.

It is only one race, but, based on the results of the Australian Grand Prix, the plan appears to be well on its way.

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