Ferrari enjoy one-two finish in Melbourne as Verstappen forced to retire early due to mechanical problems
Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz celebrates victory after his win in the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. Photograph: Martin Keep/AFP via Getty ImagesCarlos Sainz has won the Australian Grand Prix for Ferrari, delivering a consummate drive in Melbourne after world champion Max Verstappen’s race ended in a brake explosion after only four laps.
Having started in second behind Verstappen, Sainz took full advantage of the Dutchman’s misfortune with a controlled drive at the front of the field after the world champion’s nine-win run came to a fiery end when he was forced to retire from the lead, his right rear brake giving out in an explosion and flames.
Verstappen had held his lead over Sainz into turn one but on lap two with DRS enabled the Spaniard burst past to take the lead at turn nine to the roars of an appreciative crowd. The right rear brake exploded in a cloud of smoke and dust on Verstappen’s way into the pits, then was in flames when he entered the pit box which lit his tyre up. The car was retired immediately.
Sainz pitted at the end of lap 16 just after which Hamilton suffered an engine failure on lap 17, pulling out of the race and triggering the virtual safety car to end what was a dismal weekend for the British driver. The Spaniard resumed a lap later in the lead and with much fresher tyres than Leclerc in second, as McLaren moved Piastri aside for Norris who was on fresher rubber on lap 29.
The stewards investigated the incident afterwards and Alonso was given a drive-through penalty converted to 20 seconds for “potentially dangerous driving” that dropped him from sixth to eighth.