Carlos Sainz Triumphs in Australian GP Comeback; Verstappen, Hamilton Forced to Retire

Carlos Sainz of Ferrari clinched victory at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday (Mar 24), captivating the full house at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit with several compelling narratives playing out. Sainz’s win came after he had to miss the Saudi Arabian GP earlier in the month due to health reasons.

His Ferrari colleague, Charles Leclerc, secured second place, marking Ferrari’s first one-two finish this season. Following an impressive qualifying round on Saturday (Mar 23), Sainz executed a flawless race strategy from the start, earning his third career podium following victories at last year’s Singapore GP and the 2022 British GP.

Sainz, who began the race from the second position, quickly moved ahead of Max Verstappen in the second lap after the latter faced mechanical setbacks, leading to his retirement due to a rear brake failure that ignited his car.

This was the first time in two years that Verstappen had to bow out of a race, putting an end to his run of nine consecutive race victories. His teammate, Sergio Perez, also had difficulties, finishing in fifth place.

Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, had to withdraw early as his Mercedes encountered a power unit issue. George Russell, another Mercedes driver, had a significant accident on the last lap, leaving the race, which resulted in Mercedes not earning any points from the event.

Regarding the mechanical failures, Verstappen expressed that the car felt off from the beginning, likening it to “driving with a handbrake on,” due to a persistent issue with the right rear brake overheating from the moment the race started.

The top ten finishers of the race were:

1) Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
2) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3) Lando Norris (McLaren)
4) Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
5) Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
6) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
7) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
8) Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
9) Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
10) Kevin Magnussen (Haas)