F1: Sainz Wins in Melbourne as Verstappen Retires, Ferrari Secures 1-2

Carlos Sainz Jr. claimed a stunning victory at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, leading a Ferrari one-two finish as defending champion Max Verstappen retired due to a rear brake fire. The Spaniard, returning from an appendectomy that forced him to miss the previous race, overtook Verstappen on the second lap and never looked back.

Sainz's teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished second, less than three seconds behind, after overtaking the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri following the first round of pit stops. Norris claimed the final podium spot, with Piastri finishing fourth after complying with team orders to let his teammate pass.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez finished a distant fifth, unable to keep pace with the front-runners, suggesting that Verstappen may have struggled to hold off the Ferraris and McLarens had he not retired. This marked the first time in 43 races that the three-time world champion had failed to finish, ending his pursuit of a tenth consecutive win.

Fernando Alonso showcased his skill and determination, finishing sixth for Aston Martin, while holding off George Russell's Mercedes until the penultimate lap when the Briton crashed attempting an overtake. Lewis Hamilton, in the other Mercedes, retired earlier due to a power unit failure, allowing Lance Stroll to claim seventh in the second Aston Martin.

Yuki Tsunoda impressed with an eighth-place finish for Visa Cash App RB, while his more experienced teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, could only manage 12th on home soil. Haas enjoyed a fantastic race, with Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finishing ninth and tenth, respectively, making it four Ferrari-powered cars in the top ten.

Alex Albon narrowly missed out on points, finishing 11th in Logan Sargent's Williams, which he had inherited after totalling his own car in FP2, while Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon finished 13th and 16th for Alpine. The Sauber Stake F1 duo of Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou saw their races compromised by lengthy pit stops, finishing 14th and 15th.

The result brings Ferrari within four points of Red Bull in the constructors' championship, providing redemption for Sainz after the team opted not to renew his contract for 2025 in favour of signing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Sainz's victory, achieved while not fully fit, also comes as a statement against his highly-rated teammate, Charles Leclerc, whose contract was recently renewed by the team. There were also question marks about the Spaniard's fitness, as Ollie Bearman, the Ferrari junior driver who drove beautifully in Jeddah, was available.

Full Race Results:

1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +2.366

3. Lando Norris (McLaren) +5.904

4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +35.770

5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +56.309

6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +63.894

7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +84.818

8. Yuki Tsunoda (Visa Cash App RB) +92.922

9. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) +106.684

10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) +1 lap

11. Alexander Albon (Williams) +1 lap

12. Daniel Ricciardo (Visa Cash App RB) +1 lap

13. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1 lap

14. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber Stake F1) +1 lap

15. Guanyu Zhou (Sauber Stake F1) +1

16. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +1 lap

Did Not Finish:

• George Russell (Mercedes) - crash

• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - engine failure

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - rear brake fire