CARLOS SAINZ WINS IN F1 AUSTRALIAN GP
Carlos Sainz has emerged victorious in the Australian Grand Prix for Ferrari, demonstrating exceptional driving skills in Melbourne, following the unfortunate outcome of Max Verstappen‘s race, which ended in a brake explosion after only four laps.
The victory achieved by Sainz was a remarkable turnaround for the driver, who is still recuperating from appendicitis surgery and is currently out of contract for the upcoming season. Sainz drove brilliantly to beat teammate Charles Leclerc into second at Albert Park, Ferrari‘s first one-two since Bahrain in 2022.
Lando Norris from McLaren was third, and Oscar Piastri from Australia was fourth. Lewis Hamilton, who will replace Sainz at Ferrari, ended a difficult weekend with an engine failure. There was further woe for Mercedes when his teammate George Russell crashed out on the final lap. Sergio Pérez came in fifth place for Red Bull.
After starting in second place behind Verstappen, Sainz seized the opportunity to lead the field with a meticulously controlled drive. The world champion‘s nine-win streak came to an abrupt end when he was forced to retire from the lead due to a catastrophic failure of his right rear brake, resulting in a fiery explosion and ensuing flames.
Verstappen was evidently agitated upon his exit from the vehicle, expressing his dissatisfaction at being denied due to a mechanical malfunction, which resulted in his first retirement since Australia 2022. When the lights went off, the right rear brake was stuck on. It was basically driving with the handbrake on. The team has yet to provide an explanation of what caused the problem.
This was an exceptional victory for Sainz. The Spaniard underwent surgery for appendicitis only two weeks ago, when he was forced to withdraw from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He is still not fully recovered, has lost several kilos of weight, cannot complete the usual fitness preparation and simulator work pre-race, and admitted that coping with the intense G-forces at Albert Park after the operation was a unique challenge. This is truly amazing. Sainz stated that life is a rollercoaster, and it is truly remarkable.
The victory commences Sainz‘s season with the resolute and combative declaration of intent that the Spanish driver aspired for. He is determined to assert his case for a favorable seat in the upcoming season, and he demonstrated this determination with remarkable efficacy in Melbourne. Sainz and the team will derive immense satisfaction from their impressive performance in race pace, and they are confident that Ferrari will deliver with a level of operational calmness and assurance that was often lacking during the previous season.
Sainz was the sole driver to deny Red Bull a victory during the previous season, achieving victory in Singapore, and he is the first driver to achieve this feat this year. It is his third career victory, following his first win at the British Grand Prix in 2022 and his first in Australia. Verstappen had led Sainz into turn one, but DRS enabled the Spaniard to take the lead at turn nine.
Verstappen claimed that he had lost the back of the car and had slid at turn seven and eight, opening the door for Sainz. He complained that the car was loose. It was evident that he was experiencing a problem, and the situation escalated further when smoke began to erupt from the rear of the vehicle and subsequently redirected towards the field. Verstappen informed the team during the third lap that he had experienced smoke, fire, and brake. Verstappen’s right rear brake burst into flames and a cloud of smoke and dust as he entered the pits, igniting his tyre. The car was immediately removed from service. With the world champion out of the race, the race was wide open, Sainz leading from Norris and Leclerc, with Pérez in sixth. The initial pit stops commenced early on lap 10, when Leclerc made a pit stop.