If you looked at the bare statistics – pole position, fastest lap and victory – it looked like a cakewalk for Lando Norris. Pitstops aside he was never behind, his McLaren always looking like the class of the field.
It was also a race with only a modest amount of genuine overtaking despite its four DRS zones. Seen like this, those who elected not to prise themselves from the arms of Morpheus at 4am on Sunday morning might take to their tea and toast considering it a decision very well made.
What they missed was one of the most enthralling F1 races of recent times and one of the best I can remember from Albert Park. It was not clearly in the bag for Norris until just before the very last corner of the very last lap of the Australian Grand Prix. In doing so he became the first person not called Max to lead the Formula 1 World Championship for over 1000 days.
