- Leclerc, in second place, was forced to retire early owing to technical issues, giving Ferrari its first one-two result since 2022.
After a brake explosion halted Max Verstappen’s campaign after just four laps, the world champion drove a flawless race to win the Australian Grand Prix for Ferrari.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season and still recovering from appendix surgery, Sainz’s victory was a miraculous return. In Albert Park, Sainz’s outstanding driving allowed him to pass teammate Charles Leclerc for second place, marking Ferrari’s first one-two finish since Bahrain in 2022.
Lando Norris of McLaren finished third, and Oscar Piastri, his Australian teammate, had an incredible performance to finish fourth. After a challenging weekend, Lewis Hamilton, who will take over for Sainz at Ferrari the next season, retired due to an engine malfunction, and Mercedes suffered additional setbacks.
when George Russell, his teammate, wrecked on the last lap. Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez finished fifth.
Max Verstappen retires early in the Australian F1 Grand Prix, which is won by Carlos Sainz.
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The world champion’s nine-race winning streak came to an abrupt end when he was forced to retire from the lead when his right rear brake failed with an explosion and flames. Sainz, who had started second behind Verstappen, took full advantage of the situation with a controlled drive at the front of the pack.
When he got out of the car, the Dutchman was obviously upset about being let off by a mechanical issue that had resulted in his first retirement since Australia in 2022. “It’s evident that when the right rear light went out,
Verstappen stated, “It was essentially driving with the handbrake on because the brake was stuck on.” The group still hasn’t provided an explanation for the issue’s root cause.
This was an amazing victory for Sainz. Just two weeks ago, the Spaniard had appendicitis and had to withdraw from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He had surgery for it. He lost many kilograms of weight, is still recovering, was unable to finish the pre-race workout routine and simulator work, and acknowledged that dealing with Albert Park’s strong G-forces following the operation presented a special challenge.
“This is incredible. Life is incredible and a rollercoaster, according to Sainz.
With the victory, Sainz begins his season with the bold and assertive declaration of intent that the Spanish driver sorely needed. He did a great job in Melbourne, and he is motivated to push his case for a solid seat next season. With Ferrari demonstrating such competitive race pace and delivering with an operational calm control and assurance that was frequently lacking in the previous season, Sainz and the team can take tremendous heart from this performance.
It marks Sainz’s first victory in Australia and his third overall. He was the only driver this year to accomplish so after being the only one to prevent Red Bull from winning in Singapore during the previous season. In 2022, he won his maiden race, the British Grand Prix.
Verstappen possessed
his lead into turn one from Sainz, but on lap two, the Dutchman was able to overtake him for the lead in turn nine, much to the cheers of the cheering spectators.
Verstappen said the car was “loose,” claiming he lost control of the rear end and skidded at turns seven and eight, allowing Sainz to pass.
It was obvious he had a problem when smoke started to billow from the back of the automobile as it started to back through the field. On the third lap, Verstappen limped to the pit and told the crew, “I have smoke, fire, fire, brake.”
As he entered the pits, the right rear brake burst in a cloud of dust and smoke, then was in
flames that ignited his tire when he got into the pit box. The automobile was promptly put into retirement.
The race was wide open with Sainz leading from Norris and Leclerc, and Pérez coming in sixth. The world champion was not present. Leclerc’s pit stop on lap 10 marked the start of the first pit stops.
But Sainz appeared to be in complete control at the front of the pack, content to use his rubber to remain out for a long time and build a comfortable eight-second lead over Norris, who pitted and was overtaken by Piastri, who moved up to fourth.
Following Sainz’s pit stop at the end of lap 16, Hamilton experienced an engine problem on lap 17, forcing him to withdraw from the race and bringing out the virtual safety car to cap off a disappointing weekend for the British driver.
A lap later, the Spaniard was back in the lead.
On lap 29, McLaren pushed Piastri aside for Norris, who had fresher tires than Leclerc in second place. Norris was in the lead and had significantly fresher tires.
Sainz’s calm and collected approach was paying off handsomely on a course where tire management is usually crucial. By the time Ferrari pitted the Monegasque driver again on lap 34, he had built up a nine-second advantage over Leclerc thanks to new tires.
After Russell lost his rear end and collided with the wall while closing on Fernando Alonso at turns six and seven, Sainz made his final pit stop on lap forty-one, rejoining in the lead with a comfortable advantage over Leclerc and the tyres to cruise to the finish line for a well-deserved victory under the VSC.
For Aston Martin, Alonso came in sixth and Lance Stroll eighth. Yuki Tsunoda for RB in position eight, Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen for Haas in positions nine and ten. For
Daniel Ricciardo, the Australian, could only achieve 13th place, making it a race to forget back home.