Ferrari Secures First and Second Place in Grand Prix Since 2022
- Ferrari finishes first and second since 2022, with Leclerc in second place.
- Verstappen’s mechanical issues prompted him to retire early.
Carlos Sainz had not even considered competing in the Australian Grand Prix when he was lying in bed nine days ago, his appendectomy incision still sore. Nevertheless, the Spaniard was in Melbourne on Sunday afternoon, cheered on by a receptive audience as he emerged from his vehicle following a heroic yet improbable triumph.
An accomplishment that will undoubtedly hold particular significance for Sainz, the driver who, after recovering from surgery, helped Ferrari secure its first one-two finish since 2022 when world champion Max Verstappen’s explosive winning streak came to an abrupt end. However, Sainz does not currently have a Formula One drive for the upcoming season.
The 29-year-old suffered a severe setback prior to the start of the season when Ferrari declared they would bench him in favor of Lewis Hamilton in 2025. A depressing incident that he fiercely fought back from with a podium finish at the season’s first race in Bahrain, only for more misfortune to befall him two weeks later when he was forced to withdraw from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis.
He spent seven days in bed following the ensuing surgery, and neither Ferrari nor he felt comfortable with him being behind the wheel until the Friday of the Australian Grand Prix.
There is no doubt that the 29-year-old’s preparation was inadequate. He acknowledged that dealing with the strong G-forces at Albert Park following the procedure was a unique difficulty, that he was still far from fully recovered, that he had dropped many kilograms of weight, and that he was unable to finish the routine fitness and simulator work before to the race.
With a startling degree of composure, he observed on Saturday following qualifying that “everything in the inside just feels like it’s moving more than normal,” describing the impact of getting back in the car. Something like making you queasy while enjoying a cup of tea, let alone while you’re speeding through one of the busiest circuits on the schedule.
Not only was he on the grid, but he was also the driver closest to Verstappen, starting second behind him. Naturally, Verstappen showed off his skills right away, and it looked like the Dutchman would dominate for another 58 laps before destiny eventually dealt Sainz a break.
Sainz quickly passed Verstappen, who was having trouble with his brake, and then the world champion’s right rear tire started to spew smoke. After leading the field in nine races, Verstappen was eventually floored when the brake blew when he was crawling into the pits. The Dutchman’s outrage was palpable as smoke, dust, and flames were ejected sideways. Red Bull’s record of mechanical infallibility, which had been held since Bahrain in 2022, was likewise broken after four laps of racing.
Sainz used this to his advantage, delivering a flawless, controlled performance while probably taking care of his tires. On a circuit that is known for being harsh on tires, he eased his rubber through the race with the deft touch of a cunning trout baiter. He delivered a well-deserved performance of the “smooth operator” on the in-lap following the flag. He later remarked, “Spending seven days in bed is just not very healthy for an athlete, for your physical fitness and for all the muscles.”
Consequently, he had tried everything to hasten the healing process, including applying electrical charges to promote tissue repair and using hyperbaric chambers twice a day. He had to follow a diet and schedule that set limits on his amount of exercise and time.
which were all profitable. “I was still in bed when I was going to board the plane to Australia,” he clarified. “This is not going to happen,” I thought, as I could hardly flex my abs. However, I took the flight, and after I landed, I felt much better and was getting better every day.
What incredible improvement it was, to the point where once he got the lead and was on the track, he was unstoppable, easily overtaking McLaren’s Lando Norris in third and his colleague Charles Leclerc in second.
Sainz, the driver who denied Red Bull a clean sweep last season with his victory in Singapore, is the only driver to have defeated Red Bull since the Brazilian GP in November 2022. When he emerged from the cockpit, he looked understandably physically shattered, but he was lifted by the moment to immediately race into the arms of his waiting Ferrari teammates. As the examination into the flaming remnants of his back wheel began, Verstappen would now regard him as something of a tempestuous priest.
With a performance—and especially a car that Hamilton will be lusting after after the seven-time champion had yet another miserable weekend in a Mercedes that was underperforming—Sainz is effectively arguing for a strong seat next season. When he had to retire on lap 17 due to an engine issue, he accurately declared that it had been his worst ever season start.
Sainz would have leapt for Sergio Pérez’s seat at Red Bull, Verstappen’s teammate, to notice the victory as well. The Mexican driver not only had the fastest car in the field, but he also suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Ferrari and McLaren drivers, leaving him with deep cuts from the scalpel.
Verstappen leads Leclerc in the world championship by four points, despite the Ferrari’s speed. Now that he’s won twice, F1 can rejoice in the fact that excellent men are hard to put down temporarily. Japan is the host country for the next race. “Life can be chaotic sometimes,” a beaming Sainz said.
George Russell of Mercedes lost his rear end and collided with the wall after catching up to Fernando Alonso, who seemed to slow down at turns six and seven on the last lap. After the stewards looked into the incident, Alonso was demoted from sixth place to eighth and handed a drive-through penalty that was later reduced to 20 seconds for “potentially dangerous driving.”
Lance Stroll was sixth for Aston Martin, and Oscar Piastri finished fourth for McLaren. Ninth place goes to RB’s Yuki Tsunoda, while Haas’s Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finish ninth and tenth. Daniel Ricciardo finished just 12th in his home race, making it a race he will never forget.