Verstappen retires and Carlos Sainz wins Australian GP

This was Carlos Sainz’s third victory in Formula 1, having not won since last year’s Singapore GP (he had already won in the British GP in 2022).

“It was a good race. Physically it wasn’t easy but I managed my pace and my tires. It’s proof that hard work pays off”, said the Spaniard at the end.

Sainz admitted that this start of the season, in which he found out that Ferrari will not renew his contract at the end of the year and in which he had to undergo surgery, “has been a rollercoaster [de emoções]” but, even so, he says he is “very happy” with the triumph. “I recommend that pilots remove their appendix”, he joked.

Regarding the start of the race, he says he didn’t realize the cause of Verstappen’s problems but regretted the outcome. “It was a shame because I think we would have had a good fight”, he stressed.

Having to stop earlier, Charles Leclerc’s chances of winning were immediately compromised, but the truth is that the Monegasque never showed the pace to challenge his teammate.

“I should have done better. Carlos did a better job all weekend and deserved the victory”, conceded Leclerc, at the end.

With these results, Max Verstappen maintains command of the championship, with 51 points, now just four more than Charles Leclerc, who got the extra point for the fastest lap.

It is precisely this additional point that earns him second place, with one more point than Mexican Sérgio Pérez, who was only fifth today. Sainz, with 40 points, is fourth.

In the Constructors’ World Championship, Red Bull leads, with 97 points, four more than Ferrari, which is second.

The next round is the Japanese GP, from April 5th to 7th.