IMAGE: Max Verstappen celebrates on the rostrum with second-placed Lewis Hamilton and third-placed Fernando Alonso. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Reuters
Max Verstappen gained the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday after two late red flags and a slew of crashes threw the race into chaos earlier than the Red Bull driver was allowed a processional victory lap round Albert Park.
Double defending champion Verstappen was main Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton with a number of laps left when Kevin Magnussen crashed his Haas right into a wall, leaving particles on the observe and halting the race.
The vehicles returned to the grid with recent tyres for a two-lap dash to determine the winner however in a chaotic restart, Williams driver Logan Sargeant drove into the again of AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries to knock each of them into gravel at flip one.
Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon then crashed into one another to depart a path of particles on the observe and set off one other red flag, the third and final of the race.
After prolonged deliberations, stewards determined the race would end with one lap behind a security automotive within the order of the earlier begin – minus the vehicles that had crashed out.
That allowed Verstappen to assert his second win of the season forward of Hamilton with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso third in a race by which eight of the 20 vehicles failed to complete.
Red Bull have now gained all three Grand Prixs within the new season, a document for the workforce, resuming their dominance after their runaway success in 2022.
IMAGE: The race was marred by three red flags. Photograph: Simon Baker/Reuters
“It was a little bit of a multitude however we survived every little thing …. and we gained, which after all is an important,” Verstappen stated after his first victory at Albert Park and Red Bull’s first since 2011.
“That’s a extremely good weekend for us, we’ve to be pleased with that.”
The Dutchman has 69 factors within the championship race, 15 forward of workforce mate Sergio Perez.
Alonso, third in all three races, is third within the standings on 45 factors.
Red Bull, on 123 factors, have opened up an enormous lead within the constructors championship forward of second-placed Aston Martin (65) and third positioned Mercedes (56).
ON FIRE
Mercedes’ first podium of the season was soured with George Russell struggling his first retirement for the workforce after shedding energy and rolling to a halt along with his engine on hearth early on.
“It’s actually unfortunate for George right this moment on our aspect,” stated seven-times world champion Hamilton.
“Otherwise, to get these factors is basically superb right this moment. I undoubtedly didn’t count on to be second so I’m so grateful for it.”
IMAGE: Marshals extinguish a hearth from George Russell’s automotive. Photograph: Simon Baker/Reuters
It was a darkish day for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc knocked out of the race on the first flip after being clipped by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.
His Ferrari workforce mate Carlos Sainz survived all of the carnage and was in line to complete fourth however a five-second penalty for making contact with Alonso left him demoted to twelfth and raging on the workforce radio.
Stroll took fourth as a substitute in an enormous day for Aston Martin, with Perez putting fifth after beginning his race from the pit lane following his disastrous qualifying on Saturday.
McLaren’s Lando Norris was sixth forward of Haas’ seventh-placed Nico Hulkenberg.
McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri celebrated his first factors with an eighth-place end, whereas Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu and AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the highest 10.
Verstappen needed to get better from a poor begin as he misplaced his result in each Russell and Hamilton within the first three turns.
But after two early security vehicles and a red flag when Williams driver Alex Albon crashed out, Verstappen reclaimed the lead by passing Hamilton on the twelfth lap after Russell pitted for an early tyre change.
IMAGE: Max Verstappen gained his second race of the season. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Reuters
Verstappen opened up an enormous hole earlier than the late red flags noticed the race flip from procession to drama and again once more.
Drivers and workforce bosses queried whether or not the red flags had been obligatory, or whether or not security vehicles might need saved loads of hassle.
“Obviously, outcomes like this are good for some groups and unhealthy for others,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff advised reporters.
“We simply want to know going ahead when are red flags being pulled out and what’s a security automotive?”
