Race Notes - Sainz wins Australian GP

By Mark Karp

Carlos Sainz won the Australian GP in commanding form after Max Verstappen fell out on lap 2 with brake issues.

Charles Leclerc finished second to take a Ferrari 1-2, 2.366 seconds behind.

Lando Norris in the McLaren-Mercedes was third, 5.904 seconds behind the winner.

It is the first Ferrari 1-2 since Bahrain in the opening round of 2022. The win was the third career victory for Sainz.

Local driver Oscar Piastri (35.770s) in the second McLaren finished fourth, followed by Sergio Perez (56.309s) in the Red Bull-Honda was fifth, Fernando Alonso (1m20.992s) in the Aston Martin-Mercedes was sixth, his team mate Lance Stroll (1m33.222s) was seventh, Yuki Tsunoda (1m35.601s) in the RB-Honda was eighth, Nico Hulkenberg (1m44.553s) in the Haas-Ferrari was ninth, and his team mate Kevin Magnussen (1 lap) took the final point in tenth place.

Verstappen for the third straight time of the season sat on pole with Sainz alongside.

Perez starts with a three place penalty in sixth. Zhou starts from the pitlane after changes overnight. All of the top drivers starting on mediums except Hamilton on soft tyres.

At the appointed time the field came around and the lights went out and Verstappen took the lead over Sainz, Norris, Leclec, Piastri, Russell, Perez, Stroll, Tsunoda and Hamilton in tenth.

On lap 2 Sainz passes Verstappen for the lead.

Verstappen tells the team he made a mistake and says the car is loose.

On lap 4 Verstappen’s car is smoking and slows.

Verstappen pulls into the pits with his right rear brakes on fire, and he retires in the pits, breaking his string of 43 consecutive finishes.

Sainz is leading over Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, Russell, Perez, Stroll, Tsunoda, Hamilton and Alonso in tenth.

Ricciardo pits and changes to hard tyres.

On lap 8 Hamilton pits for hard tyres and rejoins 14th.

Sainz sets fast lap at 1m22.303s.

Russell pits from fifth for hard tyres and rejoins 11th.

Bottas has a slow stop and runs in 18th.

On lap 10 Leclerc, Piastri and Tsunoda pit.

Hamilton runs off track but continues.

On lap 11 Leclerc passes Gasly for sixth, then passes Hulkenberg for fifth, Piastri follows the Ferrari and is in sixth.

Perez running third says he thinks he overdid it on his tyres.

On lap 15 Norris pits from second, along with Perez, Norris rejoins fifth, Perez tenth.

Russell passes Gasly for seventh.

On lap 19 Sainz pits from the front for hard tyres and retains the lead.

Hamilton slows on track with an engine failure. The virtual safety car is out. Alonso pits from second place for hard tyres and rejoins fifth.

Hamilton is able to pull off near a break in the wall and the car is off track quickly and the race resumes.

On lap 18 Perez passes Stroll for seventh.

Ocon makes a slow pit stop, the team finding a tearoff in a brake duct.

Perez passes Russell for sixth, Russell comments on Perez, “the car is like a rocketship.”

At lap 20 Sainz leads Leclerc by 1.5 seconds, followed by Piastri (3.5s), Norris (6.4s), Alonso (13.6s), Perez (18.3s), Russell (19.5s), Stroll (22.9s), Tsunoda (25.3s), and Albon (29.9s) in tenth place.

On lap 25 leader Sainz sets fast lap at 1m21.458s.

Hulkenberg is closing on Albon in tenth.

On lap 27 Sainz sets fast lap at 1m21.078s.

On fresher tyres Norris is closing on Piastri in third. Perez passes Alonso for fifth.

On lap 29 Piastri lets Norris though for third place.

At lap 30 Sainz leads Leclerc by 6.5 seconds, followed by Norris (9.1s), Piastri (10.0s), Perez (21.6s), Alonso (22.3s), Russell (31.3s), Stroll (35.9s), Tsunoda (38.9s) and Hulkenberg (45.7s) in tenth.

Ricciardo pits and runs last in 17th.

Alonso is closing on Perez.

Norris is closing on Leclerc in second. Leclerc tells the team his front left tyre is going.

On lap 35 Leclerc pits for hard tyres and rejoins just ahead of Perez and Alonso in fourth.

On lap 36 Perez pits for hard tyres and rejoins seventh.

Zhou has a slow stop. Tsunoda pits for hard tyres and rejoins tenth.

On lap 37 Leclerc sets fast lap at 1m20.688s.

Stroll pits an rejoins ninth.

Piastri goes wide at the final corner, but continues, and then pits the next lap for another set of hard tyres and rejoins fifth.

On lap 41 Norris pits from second for hard tyres and rejoins third.

On lap 42 the leader Sainz pits for hard tyres and rejoins still in front.

Leclerc sets fast lap at 1m20.675s.

Alonso pits for hard tyres and rejoins seventh.

On lap 44 Piastri sets fast lap at 1m20.485s, and then again at 1m20.395

At lap 45 Sainz leads Leclerc by 4.6 seconds, followed by Norris (9.7s), Piastri (17.6s), Russell (25.9s), Perez (28.8s), Alonso (43.4s), Stroll (54,8s), Tsunoda (57.9s) and Hulkenberg (59.9s) in tenth.

Russell pits for hard tyres and rejoins seventh.

On lap 47 Norris sets fast lap at 1m19.971s.

Gasly is given a 5-second penalty for crossing the line on pit exit, he runs 14th.

On lap 49 Norris sets fast lap at 1m19.915s.

At lap 50 Sainz leads Leclerc by 5.0 seconds, followed by Norris (8.9s), Piastri (19.3s), Perez (31.4s), Alonso (48.1s), Russell (49.3s), Stroll (59.3s), Tsunoda (1m03.3s), and Hulkenberg (1m07.5s) in tenth place.

On lap 56 Leclerc sets fastest lap with a 1m19.813s.

On lap 58, chasing Alonso in seventh, Russell crashes at turn 6 and the car ends up on its side. Russell is okay and gets out of the car and the virtual safety car is out for the last lap.

At the finish Sainz wins over Leclerc and Norris.