The Ferrari driver celebrates his second victory in the third race of the season. The race is bitter for world champion Max Verstappen – and the messed-up weekend for Sebastian Vettel is also experiencing a sad low point.
What a wild Grand Prix in Australia: crashes, safety car phases, flaming cars – and in the end Charles Leclerc’s second triumph in the third Formula 1 race of the season behind the Monegasque it got dramatic. Second was Red Bull driver Sergio Perez ahead of George Russell (Mercedes). His teammate and record world champion Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, rounding off a pleasing result for the Silver Arrows in Melbourne.
World Champion Max Verstappen retired with engine failure 19 laps before the end, marshals had to put out the flames on his Red Bull. For the second time in the young season, the Dutchman remained without points. Leclerc is now 46 points ahead of the defending champion.
The race also ended bitterly for Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion crashed his Aston Martin into the barriers and retired after just 24 laps. Vettel had already caused an accident in the third practice session on Saturday, and on Friday he was also slowed down by an engine failure on the Aston Martin.
Schumacher with no chance of points
Mick Schumacher drove a solid race but couldn’t get past 13th place. The first points of the Formula 1 career were out of reach in the weakest appearance of the strengthened Haas racing team. In the end, Schumacher ended up ahead of his teammate Kevin Magnussen.
Leclerc secured the first Ferrari pole in Australia since 2007 with an outstanding final lap on Saturday. The Monegasse effortlessly defended first place on the grid. Verstappen didn’t lose a place in second either.
“I smell something funny”
Another wheel-to-wheel duel between Leclerc and Verstappen, like in Saudi Arabia, did not develop. With a free ride, Leclerc increased his lead over the world champion with every lap, also because Verstappen made mistakes. Red Bull’s hopes of holding up with a higher top speed on the straights were dashed.
It only got tricky once for Leclerc: At the end of the safety car phase caused by Vettel, Verstappen attacked on the start-finish straight. Leclerc held back – and promptly pulled away again.
Leclerc confidently managed the lead when Verstappen’s resistance to the material broke completely. “I smell something funny,” Verstappen radioed to the pits. A little later he had to park the smoking car – and was served.