Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Emerges Victorious in Australian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen Retires Mid-Race

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz secured a stunning victory at the Formula-1 Australian Grand Prix, marking the end of Red Bull‘s triumphant start to the season. Unfortunately, Max Verstappen faced an engine fire in his car midway through the race, forcing him to retire early.

Following Verstappen’s exit from the race, Sainz capitalized and clinched the win. Charles Leclerc, also from Ferrari, secured the second position, while Norris from the McLaren team finished third in the race. Stakar Pistri achieved fourth place in the standings.

Sainz’s win comes just two weeks after undergoing surgery and missing the previous race. He maintained a lead of 2.3 seconds over his Ferrari teammate Leclerc. This marks Sainz’s third victory in a Grand Prix and his first win since Singapore last year.

However, the race turned into a nightmare for Verstappen, whose car started emitting smoke just after the second lap, ending his hopes of a win. It was the first time in over two years that Verstappen had to retire from a race prematurely, having faced rear brake issues initially.

Verstappen, who had begun the season with wins in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, had aimed to improve upon his record of ten consecutive wins last year at the Bahrain Grand Prix.