Sebastian Vettel beat Lewis Hamilton to victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel celebraters his victory. [Photo: Courtesy]

Sebastian Vettel beat Lewis Hamilton to victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as the Briton was left to rue a pit-stop slip-up.

The Ferrari driver was allowed to emerge back out on to the track ahead of pole-sitter Hamilton after pitting during the virtual safety car.

And he did not relinquish his advantage over his fellow four-time world champion to come home in first place.

Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was third, with home favourite Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull fourth.

Speaking on the podium, Vettel said: "We got a bit lucky obviously with the safety car. My start, I was hoping to be a bit better, didn't really work, so I had to settle for third.

"I was praying for a safety car."

Hamilton on the other hand said that he could not understand better what had happened and was still coming to terms with his loss, which he ties to the safety decisions he had to make.

He said:

"I really still don’t now understand what’s happened. I did everything I believe that I was supposed to do,"

"The Safety Car came out and then I was coming down the straight and all of a sudden, really last minute I was told the Ferrari was coming out. I didn’t know the Ferrari was in.”

"Eventually I think I made the sensible choice. It’s a long, long way in the championship and it’s not all won in one race. That’s what I’m trying to focus on."

But speaking about his road to recovery, the Briton said: "Today they did a better job. We've got to go back to the drawing board and work on it.

"But we still have great pace. This is an awesome circuit, but it's so hard to overtake."