Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz yesterday surged to victory at the Australian Grand Prix to snap Red Bull’s winning start to the season after three-time world champion Max Verstappen sensationally failed to finish.
The Spaniard, who had appendicitis surgery two weeks ago, took the checkered flag 2.3 seconds ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc, with McLaren’s Lando Norris a bold third.
It was his third grand prix win and first since Singapore last year.
Photo: AFP
“I’m happy to be in a one-two with Charles here. It shows that hard work pays off,” said Sainz, who missed the last race in Saudi Arabia and was bed-ridden for a week afterward.
“Life sometimes is crazy ... the podium in Bahrain, then the appendix, the comeback, the win. It’s a roller-coaster, but I loved it and I’m extremely happy.”
While he celebrated, it was a disastrous day for pole-sitter Verstappen, who limped out with smoke billowing from his vehicle after being passed by front-row partner Sainz on lap two.
The Dutchman blamed a brake issue for his first retirement in two years.
“What we can see so far from the data is that as soon as the lights went off the right-rear brake just stuck on,” he said. “It just caused the damage and it kept on increasing, so it was also basically driving with the handbrake on.”
It was also a horror race for Lewis Hamilton in his inconsistent Mercedes, with the British seven-time world champion having engine failure on lap 17.
To add to Mercedes’ woes, teammate George Russell crashed heavily on the last lap with the car ending on its side. Russell climbed out unscathed.
Verstappen emphatically won the opening two grands prix of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, both of which were a Red Bull one-two, and was the hot favorite to make it three from three.
He had been aiming to match his own record set last year of 10 consecutive wins — one more than Sebastian Vettel in 2013 — and was unbeaten in his last 18 starts from pole position.
Yet while Verstappen was favoured to win, the Ferraris had proved highly competitive in practice and qualifying on the fast and flowing Albert Park Circuit.
Despite not being fully fit, Sainz, whose seat at Ferrari is to be taken by Hamilton next year, topped the first and second qualifying sessions to fire a warning shot.
Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren was fourth ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. Fernando Alonso was sixth ahead of Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll. Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda was eighth, with Haas pair Nico Hulkenburg and Kevin Magnussen rounding out the top 10.
“It feels good mostly for the team of course, first and second didn’t happen since Bahrain 2022,” Leclerc said. “Carlos has had an incredible weekend to come back from his surgery, he’s done an amazing race.”
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