Carlos Sainz and Ferrari triumph at the Australian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen forced to retire

Ferrari took advantage of the retirement of Max Verstappen, due to a mechanical problem, to score the double, with the victory of Carlos Sainz ahead of Charles Leclerc.

Stop the hegemony of Max Verstappen! Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) won the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix ahead of his Monegasque teammate Charles Leclerc on Sunday March 24 on the Albert Park track in Melbourne. Briton Lando Norris (McLaren) completes the podium, while three-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen, championship leader, had to retire at the start of the race due to a mechanical problem on his Red Bull.

An abandonment which prevents him from signing a tenth consecutive Grand Prix victory and thus equaling his own record. For the first time since Australia in 2022, the world championship leader had to abandon a race, due to a brake problem on his RB20. Verstappen nevertheless started in the lead, after signing his 35th pole in F1 on Saturday, during qualifying.

Charles Leclerc four points behind Max Verstappen

The outgoing champion was overtaken by Sainz in the second round, before signaling to his team a few moments later that “blue smoke” got out of his car. “As soon as the lights went out, the right brake locked up, so the car was difficult to drive from the start”, “Mad Max” then explained. The Dutchman certainly remains at the top of the championship, but Charles Leclerc moves to second place and is only four points behind the leader (51 points against 47).

As in Singapore last September – where he ended Verstappen’s first series of 10 victories in a row – Carlos Sainz, barely recovered from his appendix operation 15 days ago, did not tremble and thus wins its third F1 victory in Australia, after Singapore in 2023 and Silverstone in 2022. “It was a very good race. Physically it wasn’t the easiest but I was largely alone, so I was able to manage the pace, manage the tires”reacted to the arrival of the Spaniard, winner ahead of Charles Leclerc.

The French Gasly and Ocon still out of the top 10

The duo gives Ferrari its first double since the Bahrain GP in 2022. “It feels good, especially for the team”greeted the Monegasque, who finished ahead of the Briton Lando Norris, third at the wheel of his McLaren. Far behind, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton – expected next year at Ferrari in place of Sainz – also had to retire due to an engine problem. At Alpine, the French drivers failed outside the top 10, synonymous with points: Pierre Gasly finished 13th after receiving a five-second penalty, Esteban Ocon 16th.