At the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, Max Verstappen’s commanding performance came to a stunning halt as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz secured his third victory following the world champion’s early withdrawal in Melbourne.
Sainz, who underwent appendicitis surgery a fortnight ago, making him miss the previous race in Saudi Arabia, crossed the finish line 2.3 seconds ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc, with Lando Norris of McLaren clinching a daring third place.
However, it was a disastrous turn of events for pole-sitter Verstappen, who exited the race prematurely with smoke emanating from his car after being overtaken by Sainz on the second lap.
“I have smoke, blue smoke, fire, fire,” Verstappen radioed to the team before retiring for the first time in over two years due to what seemed to be a rear brake issue.
The race also proved to be tumultuous for Lewis Hamilton in his inconsistent Mercedes, as the seven-time world champion suffered engine failure on lap 17.
To compound Mercedes’ troubles, Hamilton’s teammate George Russell crashed heavily on the final lap, with his car ending up on its side. Fortunately, Russell emerged unharmed.
Verstappen had convincingly won the first two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia with a Red Bull 1-2 finish and was widely expected to secure a third consecutive victory.
He had aimed to equal his own record set last year of 10 consecutive wins – surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 record of nine – and had not been defeated in his last 18 starts from pole position.
Despite Verstappen being the favorite, the Ferraris had shown strong competitiveness during practice and qualifying on the fast and flowing Albert Park circuit. Despite not being in peak physical condition, Sainz topped both Q1 and Q2 to signal his potential before Verstappen claimed pole position in Q3.
“Being P1 is incredible. Life’s a rollercoaster sometimes,” remarked Sainz, whose seat at Ferrari is set to be taken by Hamilton next year.
“I’m very happy, I felt really good out there. Of course, it wasn’t easy physically, but I was fortunate to be mostly alone out there, so I could manage my pace.”
Under clear skies, Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren secured fourth place ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull. Fernando Alonso finished sixth ahead of his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda claimed eighth place, with the Haas duo of Nico Hulkenburg and Kevin Magnussen completing the top 10.
“It feels mostly good for the team, of course. A first and second hasn’t happened since Bahrain 2022,” stated Leclerc. “Carlos has had an incredible weekend, coming back from his surgery. He’s had an amazing race.”
Verstappen initially made a strong start and pulled ahead of Sainz when the race began, with Norris maintaining third place as they battled for position. However, his lead was short-lived, as Sainz utilized his DRS on lap two to overtake and seize the lead.
“I just lost the car – really weird,” Verstappen radioed before smoke began pouring out, prompting his retirement from the race.
The dynamics of the race shifted as Sainz took the lead, followed by Norris and Leclerc, while Perez found himself in sixth position.
The first round of pit stops commenced on lap eight, starting with Hamilton, followed by his Mercedes teammate George Russell. Both drivers switched from soft tires to mediums, differing from the majority of the field. Sainz made his pit stop on lap 17.
“P1 baby”
What a comeback drive from @Carlossainz55 🤩#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/lIlBFejFUc
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 24, 2024
After the pit stops were completed, Sainz held a 2.6-second advantage over Leclerc at the midway point of the race, closely pursued by Piastri and Norris. With Verstappen out of contention, Sainz gradually widened the gap as Norris overtook Piastri to claim third place.
Leclerc made another pit stop as his tires degraded, rejoining the race in fifth place on hard tires. However, with fresh rubber, he quickly surged back to second position.
Sainz also made another pit stop and managed to maintain a slim lead, ultimately cruising to victory in front of 130,000 spectators for his first win since Singapore last year.
