Ferrari may chase the bonus 'point for fastest lap' in Bahrain and beyond.

In Melbourne, surprised and disappointed to be off Mercedes and Red Bull-Honda's pace, team boss Mattia Binotto decided that Charles Leclerc would not be given the opportunity to go for the fastest lap.

"We had the window to give Charles new tyres, but I think at that stage every pit stop is a risk and for us it was more important to get the car home and secure the points for fifth place," he told Auto Bild.

But Binotto admitted that with 20 more points up for grabs in the 2019 season, Ferrari may need to take the fastest lap more seriously in future.

"We will analyse the race and may revise this decision for the future," he said.