With Verstappen out, Carlos Sainz wins the Australian GP

Ferrari takes advantage of Max Verstappen’s break at Red Bull to win a double in Australia, with Sainz ahead of Leclerc

In 2023, only one man managed to break Red Bull’s winning streak: Carlos Sainz, with a strong victory at the Singapore GP. 2024, so far, follows this same logic. After two sensational victories for Max Verstappen in the first two stages of the year, Sainz broke the streak of favorites and triumphed in the Australian GP.

The victory began to build already in the first laps. Verstappen, on pole, made a small mistake on the second lap and lost the lead to Sainz. It soon became clear that the champion’s mistake was not a coincidence, but the result of a problem with the right rear brake which forced him to retire early, on the fifth lap. A rare reliability problem for the mighty Red Bull.

Without Verstappen on the track, Sainz did not feel threatened and drove calmly, towards the third victory of his career. And an important victory, immediately after his absence from the Saudi Arabian GP due to appendicitis. Sainz, still without a seat for 2025, once again demonstrates his value.

Charles Leclerc, also from Ferrari, completed a double for the red team. Oscar Piastri, of McLaren, remained in 3rd place for much of the race, but ended up giving way to his colleague Lando Norris in the final part of the race, as the Englishman was faster. The attempt to reach Leclerc, however, was in vain.

Sergio Perez, who paid a grid penalty for interrupting a rival’s fastest lap in qualifying, finished 5th: a bad position considering Verstappen’s absence in the race and his car’s advantage over the others.

Fernando Alonso and George Russell battled in the final laps for 6th place, until Russell crashed hard on the penultimate lap and fell into oblivion. The impact ended the race with a yellow flag. Mercedes had already lost Lewis Hamilton’s car on lap 17 due to engine problems.

Lance Stroll, Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen completed the scoring.

Formula 1 returns to action in two weeks, on the weekend of April 7, with the Japanese GP, which will be held at the iconic Suzuka circuit.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.