VIDEO: Rosberg Wins After Crazy Start to the 2014 F1 Season

Called it.

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Before you do anything, check out the video above to see the absolutely manic start to the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. 2013 was a dull year for Formula 1, it’s safe to say that this year will be quite different.

Nico Rosberg stormed ahead to give Mercedes its first win of the season; in perhaps the most dominant effort we’ve ever seen from the team. But his victory will be overshadowed by a much larger story. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo finished the race in second place, giving him his first podium and making him the first Aussie to finish on the podium of the Australian Grand Prix…or so he thought.

This morning, the FIA has ruled that Ricciardo’s car breached a fuel-limit regulation, and have stripped the young driver of his result. It’s a crushing blow for Red Bull, who retired Sebastian Vettel early in the race due to an engine failure.

Ricciardo’s disqualification bumps McLaren's Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button to second and third spots on the podium, a position McLaren hasn’t seen in over a year.

Retirements were the theme of the race, with a total of seven cars bowing out due to technical failures or crashes; including pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton, the man pegged to win the season opener, and Felipe Massa on his debut run for Williams.

But despite a tumultuous first few laps, fans got to see some real on-the-limit racing from the F1 boys. Fernando Alonso finished just off the podium in fourth place, having held off a red-hot Nico Hulkenberg in a Force India for most of the race.

But the big joy was to see Valtteri Bottas nearly drive out of his skin in Melbourne, leaping ten spots to finish fifth. Bottas made it halfway around the track on three tires, having blown his right rear after nudging a barrier.

The circus heads to Malaysia for the F1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix on March 30.

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