ReutersVerstappen drops out
NOS Sport•zondag, 06:26
Carlos Sainz has won the Australian Grand Prix. It is the first victory for the Spaniard since the Singapore GP last year. Max Verstappen retired after four laps in Australia. He started the race from pole position, but had to retire with a technical problem.
Verstappen entered the pit lane with smoke coming from the back of his car. Moments later an explosion was even visible. Red Bull reported that it was a brake problem.
1-2 Ferrari
Ferrari took full advantage. Behind Sainz, teammate Charles Leclerc finished second, meaning the red team achieved a 1-2 for the first time in more than two years. Lando Norris took the last spot on the podium.
“It was a good race, I felt good,” Sainz, who missed the previous grand prix due to an appendectomy, said after the race.
“Sometimes life is crazy. First the beginning of the year (when he was told to leave Ferrari), then the podium in Bahrain, then the appendix and now this… it’s a roller coaster. I advise all drivers to have their appendix removed,” he jokes.
ReutersCarlos Sainz on the podium
Speaking about Verstappen’s retirement, Sainz said: “He lost the car in Turn 3, which allowed me to overtake. Then he had problems with his brakes. It’s a shame because we could have had a nice fight, but I’m happy to win. He has plenty of victories.”
Verstappen drops out
Verstappen got off to a good start, but shot off the track briefly on the second lap, allowing Sainz to take the lead. Then things went from bad to worse for the three-time world champion.
It is his first retirement since the race in Australia two years ago.
With the loss of the top favorite, the race was open. After the first pit stop lap, Sainz and Leclerc were first and second. Home driver Oscar Piastri had risen to third position, but had to let teammate Norris pass later in the race because he was faster.
Sainz controlled the race and quickly pulled away from Leclerc. Norris put increasing pressure on the Monegasque in the second half of the race. However, after the second round of pit stops, the position at the front did not change. In the final lap, George Russell experienced a serious crash, ending the race under the virtual safety car.
After the race it was announced that Fernando Alonso received a twenty-second penalty for this incident. As a result, he fell from sixth to eighth place.
Alonso took off the gas 100 meters earlier than normal towards a fast and tricky corner, causing Russell to approach him too quickly and miss the corner. The stewards found that Alonso deliberately chose an unusual and dangerous maneuver.
Perez fifth
Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez could not save Red Bull’s day. He only finished fifth.
Verstappen retains the lead in the championship. With 51 points he is four points above Leclerc. Sainz climbs to fourth place with his victory.