Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz won the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix on Sunday, just two weeks after missing the previous race in Saudi Arabia due to an emergency appendectomy.
Sainz ended the Red Bull team’s two-victory streak, taking advantage of an early retirement from Max Verstappen to climb to the top of the podium.
Sainz, who started the race on the front row with Verstappen, held his position on the first lap, but overtook the Dutchman on the second. The Spaniard then maintained the pace when his rival had to retire due to a mechanical problem two laps later.
Verstappen triumphed in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to start the season. He was on a nine-game winning streak.
Sainz finished the race ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc for Ferrari’s first one-two finish since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. McLaren’s Lando Norris completed the podium at Albert Park.
Australian Oscar Piastri, Norris’ teammate, took fourth position.
Sainz, who will be replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025, was delighted to have obtained the third victory of his career, against all expectations, and his first since the Singapore Grand Prix last year.
“I felt really good on the track,” said Sainz. Of course, I felt a little tense, especially physically. It wasn’t easy, but I was lucky enough to be more or less alone, so I could just manage my pace, manage the tires.
“Life is crazy sometimes. What happened at the start of the year, then the podium in Bahrain, the appendectomy, the comeback, the victory. It was a roller coaster, but I loved it. »
Leclerc, who stood on the podium for a second consecutive race, was encouraged by Ferrari’s pace and ability to fight to compete with Red Bull.
“We knew that pole position and race victory were possible, because we had very good tire degradation and very good pace,” he explained. This is a very encouraging sign. However, if you look at the first three races, two of the first three, [Red Bull] have had the upper hand, so we still have a lot of work to do. »
Norris said it was no surprise to be able to score his first podium since Brazil last year.
“I think our pace was good all weekend,” he observed. We put things together really well yesterday. We showed good pace over the long runs and with plenty of fuel on Friday, so I wouldn’t have said we had no chance. »
The race ended under the virtual safety car. Sergio Perez, of Red Bull, completed the top-5 while Quebecer Lance Stroll, aboard his Aston Martin, recorded sixth position.
Stroll’s teammate Fernando Alonso had initially secured sixth place on the track, but he slipped to eighth because officials gave him a 20-second penalty and a three-point penalty on his license for “potentially dangerous” driving towards George Russell.
Alonso took his foot off the accelerator just over 100 meters earlier than he had before the race’s sixth turn. Russell, behind him, lost control of his car and was involved in an accident exiting the corner.
Russell’s teammate Hamilton did not finish the race either, following an engine problem in the 17the round. It was the first time since the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix that both Mercedes drivers did not complete the event.
Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ standings was reduced from 15 points to four, with Leclerc in second place. Verstappen has 51 points and Leclerc 47.