ér rez . ▁Mer cedes ▁used ▁the ▁break ▁for ▁a ▁change ▁of ▁ty res ▁that ▁allowed ▁their ▁drivers ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁ 1 – 2 ▁finish ▁after ▁V ett el ▁had ▁initially ▁led ▁the ▁race ▁from ▁the ▁start . ▁Rom ain ▁Gros je an ▁finished ▁sixth , ▁scoring ▁points ▁for ▁the ▁Ha as ▁F 1 ▁team ▁on ▁their ▁début , ▁the ▁first ▁completely ▁new ▁team ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁since ▁. ▁Mer cedes ▁equ alled ▁the ▁record ▁for ▁most ▁consecutive ▁ 1 – 2 ▁finish es , ▁by ▁ach ieving ▁their ▁fifth ▁in ▁a ▁row . ▁ ▁Report ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Reg ulation ▁changes ▁The ▁race ▁saw ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁qual ifying ▁system . ▁As ▁before , ▁qual ifying ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁three ▁parts . ▁However , ▁instead ▁of ▁elimin ating ▁the ▁slow est ▁drivers ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁each ▁respective ▁session , ▁the ▁slow est ▁driver ▁at ▁a ▁given ▁point ▁was ▁now ▁elimin ated ▁from ▁cont ention ▁every ▁nin ety ▁seconds , ▁with ▁the ▁count down ▁starting ▁some ▁minutes ▁into ▁every ▁session . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁further ▁change ▁of ▁reg ulations , ▁ty re ▁supp lier ▁P ire l li ▁now ▁made ▁three ▁instead ▁of ▁two ▁ty re ▁comp ounds ▁available ▁for ▁each ▁Grand ▁Prix . ▁For ▁the ▁Australian ▁Grand ▁Prix , ▁these ▁were ▁the ▁super - soft , ▁soft ▁and ▁medium ▁comp ounds . ▁With ▁P ire l li ▁providing ▁every ▁driver ▁with ▁two ▁sets ▁of ▁ty res ▁for ▁the ▁race ▁( of ▁which ▁one ▁must ▁be ▁used ) ▁and