Australia: Carlos Sainz, driving for Ferrari, has put an end to Red Bull’s winning streak in Formula 1 by claiming victory at the Australian Grand Prix. This was a triumphant return for the Spaniard after he underwent surgery for appendicitis just two weeks prior.
Due to surgery, Sainz was unable to participate in the previous race held in Saudi Arabia. Sainz took advantage of Max Verstappen’s early withdrawal from the race, which was his first in two years, due to a vigorous mechanical collapse.
Starting on the front row alongside Verstappen, Sainz managed to keep his position as they entered turn one. However, on lap two, he overtook the Dutchman at turn nine to take the lead and maintained control of the race after Verstappen was forced to retire with a fiery mechanical failure just two laps later.
It’s worth noting that Sainz was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race last season. In Melbourne, he held off teammate Charles Leclerc before a final-lap crash by Mercedes driver George Russell initiated a virtual protection car, which allowed the Spaniard to win.
Carlos Sainz expressed delight saying that, “It was a really good race. I felt really good out there. Of course a bit stiff and especially physically it wasn’t the easiest but I was lucky that I was more or less on my own and I could manage my pace, manage the tyres, manage everything, and it wasn’t the toughest race of all. But very happy, very proud of the team, and happy to be in a one-two with Charles here.”
Lando Norris, driving for McLaren, secured third position in the F1 race, denying his teammate Oscar Piastri a chance to secure his maiden podium. Piastri hoped to become the first Australian driver to achieve this feat.
Max Verstappen, who won the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, began the race in pole position for the third time this season. However, he suffered a brake problem on the fourth lap, which resulted in flames emerging from the right rear of his car. Verstappen, who won nine consecutive races, retired from the race.
This was his first Did Not Finish (DNF) since the Albert Park race in 2022, and it ended his winning streak. Verstappen said that he felt like he was driving with the handbrake on from the start.
Red Bull faced two defeats in the last 26 races, dating back to the last round of 2022. Unfortunately, seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, was forced to retire early due to a power unit problem. Hamilton started in 11th position on the grid following his worst Melbourne qualifying since 2010.
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