Rookies shine on record-breaking F1 debuts

McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen and Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat both enjoyed record-breaking starts to their Formula One racing careers in Australia.

Magnussen, who came home in third place, became the first Danish driver in F1 history to score a podium finish and the first rookie since Lewis Hamilton in 2007 to reach the rostrum in his debut race. Interestingly, Hamilton also qualified fourth and finished third in his maiden Grand Prix with McLaren at the same track - Albert Park. Before Sunday’s race in Australia, the best result for a Danish driver in a Grand Prix was sixth place, achieved by none other than Jan Magnussen - Kevin’s father - in Canada in 1998.

Meanwhile, by finishing tenth, Daniil Kvyat became the youngest driver in history to finish in a point-scoring position. The Russian rookie (who on race day was 19 years, 322 days old) is 27 days younger than Sebastian Vettel was when he scored points in his debut race, the 2007 United States Grand Prix. Incidentally, Kevin Magnussen is the 13th youngest driver to score points, but the second youngest (behind Sebastian Vettel) to score a podium.

Nico Rosberg’s win was the fourth of his career and means he is now just one win behind his world champion father Keke. Coincidentally, Keke won the inaugural Australian Grand Prix (in Adelaide) in 1985 racing car number six - the same number Nico raced to victory in Melbourne. Nico's Sunday triumph was also notable for being Mercedes’ 100th as an engine/power unit supplier.