CARLOS HEROIC, CHARLES BRILLIANT: THE SCUDERIA WINS BIG IN MELBOURNE

Carlos Sainz Jr. claimed an emotional first victory of the season at the Australian Grand Prix, coming back from illness to lead a Ferrari 1-2 finish as Charles Leclerc took second place, with Lando Norris third for McLaren on an afternoon on which championship leader Max Verstappen failed to finish.

Just two weeks ago, Sainz Jr. was forced to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he had to undergo surgery to remove his appendix, but in Melbourne a sensational recovery to victory was sealed within a few laps of the start.

When the lights went, pole position man Verstappen got away well ahead of front row starter Sainz Jr. and took the lead into Turn 1 with Norris third ahead Norris.

By the end of lap one the Dutchman was almost out of DRS range of the lead Ferrari and it looked like the three-time champion was settling into his customary dominance.

However, in Turn 7, Verstappen suddenly slid wide and though he recovered Sainz Jr. was able to use the following DRS zone to power past the Dutchman and steal the lead.

Verstappen was quickly on the radio telling his team his car felt "loose", but his issues escalated moments later when smoke began to pour from the rear right of his car.

With his brakes on fire, Verstappen was forced to slow and though he managed to limp back to the pits, it was clear his race was over, the first time the Red Bull driver has failed to finish since the same event in 2022.

Released into clean air, Sainz Jr. now began to pull out a gap and by lap 7 he was two-seconds clear of Norris and Leclerc. The Spaniard was then able to manage his tyres through the opening stint and the first round of pit stops.

Behind him Norris was being put under pressure by Leclerc, but the Ferrari driver dived to the pits at the end of lap nine giving the McLaren driver brief respite. Norris tried to go longer on his starting Medium tyres but Leclerc’s undercut worked well and when Norris pitted he’d not only been passed by Leclerc but also by his team-mate Oscar Piastri, who had also stopped for new tyres.

Then Sainz Jr. pitted at the end of lap 16 and that Bumped Hard-tyre starter Fernando Alonso into the lead, but within seconds, Lewis Hamilton suddenly slowed and pulled over at the side of the track, his race ended by a power unit failure.

The VSC was deployed and Alonso took advantage, pitting for Medium tyres, and gaining time as the field slowed around him.

That put Sainz Jr. back in the lead, with Leclerc in P2 ahead of Piastri and Norris. Alonso dropped to fifth place after his tyre change, ahead of Sergio Pérez who was gaining ground on fresh Hard tyres.

On lap 27 the Mexican dispatched Alonso with ease, powering past the Aston Martin driver under DRS on the run to Turn 9.

At half distance, Sainz Jr. was six seconds clear of Leclerc who had dropped out of his team-mate’s dirty air. With Norris on fresher tyres than his team-mate, McLaren switched its drivers, a swap that left Pérez in P5, 11 seconds off Piastri.

The final round of pit stops left the order at the top unchanged and as the final stint unfolded it became clear that the gaps were solidifying. While the top five order held to the flag, there was late drama behind them when, a lap from home, a tight battle for P6 between Alonso and Russell went wrong.
George appeared to lose downforce behind the slower Alonso into Turn 6 and slid hard into the barriers on the left side of the track. Though Russell was unhurt, his wrecked Mercedes AMG ended up on its side in the middle of the track.

A Virtual Safety Car slowed the pack through the final lap, leaving Sainz Jr. to score a remarkable win on his return from surgery, with Leclerc taking P2 to seal as Ferrari 1-2.

Norris claimed the final podium place ahead of team-mate Piastri and Pérez. Alonso came home in sixth place but was placed under by the Steward for the incident with Russell, while Lance Stroll finished seventh in the second Aston Martin.

Yuki Tsunoda delivered a good result for RB with P8, later P7 and the final points places were taken by the Haas cars of Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen.

"It's not only the last two weeks. It's the whole start to the year in general, how the year started with the news of the non-renewal," said Sainz Jr. afterwards.

"Then you get yourself fit. You get yourself ready for the start of the season, pushing flat out. And then you get to Bahrain. You do a good podium. You say, 'OK, now the season is starting well and I can keep the momentum going."

"And suddenly, boom, you're missing a race in Jeddah and the operation. Long days in bed, not knowing if I was going to be back in time. Obviously, a lot of unknowns. Am I going to be back fit? Am I going to be back feeling still good with the car?"

"And then suddenly you come back and win. So, yes, what I said on the radio: life is a roller coaster sometimes, but it can be really nice and good to you sometimes. Just letting it sink in and enjoying the moment."