MELBOURNE, March 14 (Reuters) – Huge expectations have been placed on Valtteri Bottas to lift Williams back into the Formula One big time, but the crop-haired Finn was showing little sign of the strain three days before his championship debut at the Australian Grand Prix.

Bottas, a protege of fellow Finn and retired two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen, has slotted comfortably into the seat vacated by the discarded Bruno Senna, having driven the Williams car in most of last year’s practice sessions.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Memories of past glories provide little fuel for three-times world champion Sebastian Vettel, who would rather keep his eyes fixed firmly on the challenge ahead as he prepares for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

The 25-year-old Red Bull driver kicks off his campaign to match Juan-Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as the only drivers to have won four successive Formula One championships, and to become the first to do it before the age of 30.

MELBOURNE, March 14 (Reuters) – Memories of past glories provide little fuel for three-times world champion Sebastian Vettel, who would rather keep his eyes fixed firmly on the challenge ahead as he prepares for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

The 25-year-old Red Bull driver kicks off his campaign to match Juan-Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as the only drivers to have won four successive Formula One championships, and to become the first to do it before the age of 30.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Red Bull kept their cards close to their chest in winter testing and it would be a surprise if the Formula One champions were not setting the pace at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, according to Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

“I’m not sure about McLaren but Red Bull 100 percent they didn’t push the limit of the car because they have this advantage of the last three years that they have a very dominant car, and they feel comfortable,” the Spaniard told reporters at the team’s Melbourne launch on Thursday.

MELBOURNE, March 14 (Reuters) – Red Bull kept their cards close to their chest in winter testing and it would be a surprise if the Formula One champions were not setting the pace at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, according to Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

“I’m not sure about McLaren but Red Bull 100 percent they didn’t push the limit of the car because they have this advantage of the last three years that they have a very dominant car, and they feel comfortable,” the Spaniard told reporters at the team’s Melbourne launch on Thursday.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Michael Schumacher’s retirement has thrust Mark Webber into the role of Formula One’s elder statesman, but the hard-bitten Australian believes he still has the tricks to keep the “vultures” away from his Red Bull driver’s seat.

Webber will line up at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as the oldest driver, clinging to another one-year contract with Red Bull and batting away suggestions his 12th season in F1 and seventh with the British-based team will be his swansong.

MELBOURNE, March 13 (Reuters) – Michael Schumacher’s retirement has thrust Mark Webber into the role of Formula One’s elder statesman, but the hard-bitten Australian believes he still has the tricks to keep the “vultures” away from his Red Bull driver’s seat.

Webber will line up at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as the oldest driver, clinging to another one-year contract with Red Bull and batting away suggestions his 12th season in F1 and seventh with the British-based team will be his swansong.

MELBOURNE, Feb 15 (Reuters) – The Melbourne Rebels held off an undisciplined Western Force 30-23 to win the season-opening match of Super Rugby at the Rectangular stadium in Melbourne on Friday.

Winger Alfi Mafi scored a try in each half for the Perth-based Force, but the visitors were made to pay when they had two men sent off in the space of five minutes in the second half on a balmy evening.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australian rugby will look to strengthen its anti-doping regime and boost investment in testing in the wake of an explosive government report on the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs in sports Down Under.

Australian Rugby Union (ARU) chief Bill Pulver told Reuters he was relieved his code was not in the firing line of investigations which have rocked rugby league and Australian Rules football, but said it could ill afford to be complacent.

MELBOURNE, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Australian rugby will look to strengthen its anti-doping regime and boost investment in testing in the wake of an explosive government report on the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs in sports Down Under.

Australian Rugby Union (ARU) chief Bill Pulver told Reuters he was relieved his code was not in the firing line of investigations which have rocked rugby league and Australian Rules football, but said it could ill afford to be complacent.