In the lead from start to finish on his Ferrari, Charles Leclerc flew over the Australian Grand Prix, Sunday April 10, in the heart of Albert Park in Melbourne. The Monegasque delivered a perfect race by quickly dismissing the threat of Red Bull. He won ahead of Sergio Pérez and George Russell’s Mercedes.
A victory that allows him to consolidate his lead in the world championship. At the antipodes of his success in Saudi Arabia, Max Verstappen, meanwhile, laid down his arms due to a mechanical problem. This is his second retirement in three races.
It’s more than a trend. In the wake of Charles Leclerc as the new muse of the podiums, the Red has returned to fashion on the F1 circuits. With a second pole position this season, the Monegasque led the parade in Albert Park. At the start, as on the two race restarts after the entry of the safety car, he left no one to thwart his plans and escaped each time without looking back.
WINNER‼ WINNER‼
epic job @Charles_Leclercunstoppable all weekend! #AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/8SscxAPOJ1
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 10, 2022
Even Max Verstappen, winner of the last GP in Jeddah, failed to steal the show. The situation is even worrying for the Dutchman who was the victim of a new breakage on his Red Bull whose reliability is put to the test during this year of renewal. This leaves the field open to Leclerc who signs a hat trick with the point for the best lap in the race and flies away in the drivers’ classification (71 points).
The Monegasque, who only wins when he starts from pole, is 34 points ahead of George Russell (37). “This is the first of my victories where we could control what was happening behind us“said the Monegasque, winner of his fourth career race. “The race pace was very solid. The second restart was difficult because of an oversteer in the last corner but afterwards I found my tires. We have a very good and very reliable car. We have always been in the game since the start of the season. We have to continue like this.“
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At Ferrari, for which it was the 240th victory in the Grand Prix, we will very quickly ask ourselves the question of whether to make Leclerc the number 1 for the rest of the championship when there are 18 races left on the calendar ( 19 if the Russian GP is replaced). Carlos Sainz is certainly 3rd in the standings but his failed qualifying and his retirement after two laps for having planted himself in the gravel trap do not plead in his favor while his teammate has been on a cloud for three races.
Even if Sergio Pérez signed 2nd place, Verstappen will remain the leader of Red Bull. After his retirement on the 39th lap, the reigning world champion however had a hard time swallowing this new quack. “It’s unacceptable when you’re fighting for the championship“, he reacted on Canal +. “It can’t go on like this. We need a faster car than theirs but that’s not the case at the moment.“
The good surprise in Melbourne came from the Mercedes who, failing to compete in performance with Ferrari and Red Bull, managed to grab valuable points. Opportunists on Sunday, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished 3rd and 4th respectively ahead of the two McLarens who also recovered. In the tricolor clan, Esteban Ocon ends his weekend on a 7th place while Fernando Alonso could also see a Top 10 (17th). Pierre Gasly limited the damage with his 10th position.