Sainz survives dramatics to secure admirable Australian GP victory

It was a race of pure class for Carlos Sainz who, two weeks post-surgery, secured his third-ever Grand Prix victory at Albert Park, surviving dramatic retirements and last-lap incidents to earn his Italian team a well-overdue 1-2 finish alongside Charles Leclerc. 

The most highly anticipated race of the high-class Australian Grand Prix weekend was finally upon us, with 18 drivers staring the five lights down ahead of their run to Turn 1. 

As for tyre strategies, the whole grid barring Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso opted to start the opening stint on the medium compound.

The back row was absent from the grid, with Logan Sargeant sidelined and Zhou Guanyu started his 58-lap Grand Prix from the pitlane after taking a new-spec front wing following damage sustained in qualifying.

As they set off, however, all eyes were on the front row. 

Max Verstappen’s launch was on par with Carlos Sainz, with the Red Bull driver remaining in the lead through the first corner.

Further back, Charles Leclerc looked set to challenge Lando Norris for P3, with slight contact being made between the two drivers.

There was no major damage, and the duo set off to find their rhythm.

Hamilton made up a place off the line, as did his teammate, George Russell.

As for our back-running Australian, Daniel Ricciardo failed to make up places on the opening lap held up by the battle of the back-markers.

On Lap 2, we had our first and only lead change, with Sainz breezing by Verstappen with the assistance of DRS into Turn 10.  

Max Verstappen leads Carlos Sainz and the rest of the field at the start of the Australian GP. Image: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images.

The Red Bull driver said he had “lost [his] car” in a weird situation at Turn 3.

Shortly after, smoke began billowing out of the Dutchman’s RB20 with the right rear brakes of Verstappen’s car going up in flames as he trundled into the pitlane. 

That was the reigning world champion’s race done, the first retirement of the Australian Grand Prix. 

With Verstappen out, the podium was blown wide open. 

Sainz remained in the lead, with Norris backing his Ferrari teammate up behind.

The first round of pitstops came on Lap 8, with Hamilton relinquishing his soft tyres for the white-marked compound along with Alex Albon and the #63 Mercedes a lap later.

It was a slow stop for Valtteri Bottas, with Sauber wheel nut issues continuing on from Saudi Arabia.

Leclerc and Piastri both had timely stops, worrying Norris who feared an upcoming undercut from both drivers. 

As Sainz crossed the line on Lap 11, the interval between himself and Norris was 4.6 seconds, with his team rightfully praising the wounded driver’s “mega job”.

After starting on the hard compound tyre, Alonso was boding well in P4, running just under two seconds behind an unsatisfied Sergio Perez.

Perez was complaining of similar issues to Verstappen before being called into the pits on Lap 15.

Norris also joined the Mexican in the grids, with his fears confirmed as he exited behind Piastri into P5.

When the #11 joined, he was tantalisingly close to Lewis Hamilton, with the pairing rubbing elbows on the run down to Turn 3. 

The race leader finally pulled into the pits, rejoining just over three seconds ahead of his teammate before yellow flags were triggered in Sector 3.

The conditions upgraded to a Virtual Safety Car, with a stricken Hamilton sitting with an engine failure just beyond Turn 10.

With racing neutralised, Alonso saved himself 10 seconds in the pits as he pulled in for a set of medium tyres.

Fernando Alonso comes in for a pit stop during the Australian GP. Image: Zak Mauger / LAT Images.

He rejoined in P5, with Norris quite a distance ahead.

Pierre Gasly also took advantage of the decreased pitstop time, however, rejoining in P15.

His Alpine teammate shortly made his way through the pits, his rear brakes smoking as they put on a new set of hard tyres.

The team discovered a visor tear-off in the brake duct, removing it during the stop.

With six-lap younger tyres on his car, the race leader had his teammate for company.

Ferrari, wanting to reduce risk levels, instructed their drivers to hold position while the McLarens chased them behind. 

After clearing the now-retired Hamilton earlier, Perez soon had Russell ahead of him.

He made easy work of the #63, setting off in his “rocket ship” to steal Alonso’s place 4.4 seconds ahead.

He later got the move done into Turn 9.

Further down the order, Williams’ tough decision was paying off, with Albon running in the final points position.

Yuki Tsunoda was also excelling in the points, running 4.7 seconds ahead of his former mentor.

By Lap 27, however, the Thai driver was under threat, with Hulkenberg hot on his heels within DRS range.

Williams sensed Albon’s tyres dropping off, calling him in on the following lap.

At the halfway mark, a painful radio message hit the local McLaren driver’s ears. 

Piastri was told to swap positions with his teammate, with Norris setting off to catch Leclerc 2.5 seconds ahead.

Oscar Piastri follows his teammate during the Australian GP. Image: Sam Bagnall / LAT Images.

Meanwhile, the gap between the Ferraris grew exponentially, with Sainz steadily running 7.2 seconds ahead, a number that only grew.

Ricciardo pulled into the pits on Lap 31, coming out at the back of the now-17-driver field.

He had Esteban Ocon 3.9 seconds ahead, a gap that he seemingly struggled to close over the next few laps.

On Lap 34, Leclerc felt the risk was too big to continue with the state of his tyres.

The Ferrari marginally rejoined ahead Sergio Perez, a crucial moment in the Monegasque’s race as he slotted into P4.

Perez stopped one lap later, having to make way for a fast-charging RB as he rounded Turn 1. 

Albon had a tentative moment with Hulkenberg into Turn 12, with the Haas driver weaving to defend what would become the final points position. 

The Williams driver was audibly unimpressed, calling the move “dangerous” over the radio. 

Leclerc clinched the fastest lap from his teammate, gaining on the leading trio after his stop. 

Charles Leclerc during the Australian GP. Image: Mark Sutton / Sutton Images.

The margin was reduced further after Piastri locked up at the final corner and ran onto the grass, costing the #81 four seconds.

He was called into the pits on the following lap, in a slow stop that saw him rejoining behind Alonso who was yet to pit for a second time. 

Norris followed suit on Lap 41, watching the #16 Ferrari flying off into the distance. 

After requesting a gap on pit exit, Sainz finally peeled off into the pits from the lead.

A 2.6-second stop was ideal for the Spaniard who maintained his place in P1 on return.

Piastri challenged Alonso through the final sequence of corners, testing the 42-year-old’s reaction time.

The 22-year-old demoted Alonso, moving up into P4.

Albon had lost touch with Nico Hulkenberg in P10, with the Haas driver’s teammate now challenging him for eleventh place.

On lap 45, the Thai driver’s defensive efforts proved insufficient when Magnussen squeezed by through Turn 10.

For some time now, the fastest lap had been safely in the hands of the Ferrari drivers, however, on Lap 47, that changed.

With Norris under four seconds behind Leclerc, the young Brit set the new fastest time.

After being handed a reprimand for crossing the pit-exit line in qualifying, Pierre Gasly did the exact same thing in the grand Prix, however, this time receiving a five-second penalty.

Running down in P14, that addition would barely impact his place in the standings, with his teammate running in last place as well. 

Pierre Gasly leaves his pit box after a stop during the Australian GP. Image: Zak Mauger / LAT Images.

For the remaining four laps Russell had Alonso in his sights, with the Spaniard just five-tenths back. 

With a small tyre advantage and a stronger package in the high-speed corners, he was certainly gaining on the Aston Martin. 

That all came to a messy end on the final lap, however, with the Mercedes driver making a costly error at Turn 7.

The Englishman ended his Australian Grand Prix on his side, with his Mercedes almost flipping on its head after losing it through Turn 6 and making contact with the barriers at the ever-so-popular Turn 7.

The race, in true Australian Grand Prix fashion, ended under a VSC, with the drivers cruising home for an additional victory lap.

After driving such a dominant race, there was no one more deserving of the win here in Melbourne than Carlos Sainz, with the Spaniard, only two weeks on from surgery in Saudi Arabia, claiming his third career victory. 

Charles Leclerc crossed the line to cement a Ferrari 1-2 finish, also securing the fastest lap after thrilling the Italian garage and the  huge Italian presence at Albert Park.

Completing the final podium place was Lando Norris, with Oscar Piastri finishing just over 11 seconds shy of a home podium finish. 

The F1 circus will remain in our timezone for the Japanese Grand Prix which kicks off from April 5 in just two weeks’ time.

Australian Grand Prix Results:

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