Franco Colapinto, Alpine (14th, +2 laps) – 5/10
Colapinto kept things tidy – after skillfully avoiding a major collision at the start with a slow-moving Liam Lawson – and brought the Alpine home despite the car looking like it was perpetually negotiating a compromise between speed and survival. There wasn’t any headline moment, but there also weren’t any errors – which for a lower-tier midfield slog in Melbourne isn’t the worst outcome.
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls (13th, +1 lap) – 6/10
A rather unspectacular showing from Lawson, who completely botched his launch off the grid. Was never really in the mix for points, although he tried his best to improve his affairs. But the VCARB didn't quite have the straight-line speed to make an impression. A reasonably solid shift, but he’ll be annoyed to be outperformed – and comprehensively at that – by teammate Arvid Lindblad.
