Sainz on top down under
Carlos Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix ahead of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc last Sunday (Mar 24) after championship leader Max Verstappen retired with exploding brakes.
Sainz underwent an appendectomy only two weeks ago and was unsure whether he would be able to compete in Melbourne, but the Spaniard powered to second on the grid and passed Verstappen on the second lap to stamp his authority on Albert Park.
The duel with the Dutchman did not last long. Verstappen reported a sticking right-rear brake, and on the third lap it erupted into flames as he limped back to pit lane and ending his run of 43 consecutive finishes.
Suddenly the race for victory was alive, with Sainz leading Lando Norris, Leclerc and Oscar Piastri in a four-lap duel.
Sainz, who in qualifying on Saturday said he was still adjusting to the feeling of his internal organs moving around in the space vacated by his extracted appendix, reeled off a series of fastest laps to create a buffer to his pursuers that would keep him safe until the final laps of the race.
Tyre wear was unusually high at Albert Park, and McLaren rolled the dice by bringing Piastri in for an early pit stop on lap 9 in an attempt to undercut
Leclerc for third place.
Ferrari, however, was wise to the move, and Leclerc got into the lane before him, ensuring the drivers rejoined in order.
But it had the side-effect of getting both drivers past Norris when he stopped five laps later, albeit the Briton was gifted a substantial tyre advantage.
With fresher rubber Norris rapidly closed in on his teammate, who was ordered to let the faster McLaren past. By lap 33 he was sizing up Leclerc when Ferrari pulled in the Monegasque early for a second time.
It proved the decisive call of the race, ensuring Leclerc stayed ahead when Norris and Piastri made their second stops on laps 30 and 39 respectively.
A lock-up from Piastri shortly before his second stop dropped the Australian out of podium contention, but Norris remained in pursuit of the Ferrari driver to the finish.
Leclerc, however, was happier on his second set of tyres and with a lighter fuel load managed to secure second.
Sergio Pérez finished fifth in the sole remaining Red Bull Racing machine. The Mexican started sixth after receiving a penalty in qualifying, and debris slowed his progress in the race.
Lance Stroll and the excellent Yuki Tsunoda were promoted to sixth and seventh ahead of a penalised Fernando Alonso in eighth, while Haas teammate Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen completed the point-scoring positions.