At the F1 Australian Grand Prix, Verstappen's sudden withdrawal set the scenario for a thrilling duel, which Sainz brilliantly won in his return race after appendix surgery. After missing the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix just two weeks ago, Sainz dropped Verstappen on the second lap and immediately established his domination. Unfortunately, Verstappen's optimism was shattered as his RB20 had an unexpected mechanical failure, sending him tumbling back to the pits in a cloud of smoke. Not finishing meant that Verstappen missed out on the chance to equal his record with ten straight victories, marking his first DNF in two years. In addition to ending Red Bull's perfect season, Sainz won his third Formula One race of his career with impressive work.
F1 Australian Grand Prix: Race Result
In Verstappen's absence, Sainz slowly extended his advantage over Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri. He won his third Formula 1 race after a dominant effort. Leclerc, meanwhile, scored Ferrari's first one-two result since the 2022 season. However, this was still not enough to prevent Norris and McLaren from achieving their first podium of the season.
At the first pit stop, Piastri passed Norris, but he was told to give way to his teammate. After that, he lost position because of an off-track detour, and he finished in a lonely fourth place, ahead of Sergio Perez in the Red Bull. George Russell crashed at the high-speed Turn 6/7 combination while trying to pass Fernando Alonso for sixth, damaging his Mercedes and leading to a Virtual Safety Car period till the race's finale.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Points |
| 1 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 20:26.8 | 25 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +2.366s | 19 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +5.904s | 15 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +35.770s | 12 |
| 5 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | +56.309s | 10 |
| 6 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +80.992s | 8 |
| 7 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +93.222s | 6 |
| 8 | Yuki Tsunoda | VCARB | +95.601s | 4 |
| 9 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | +104.553s | 2 |
| 10 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | Daniel Ricciardo | VCARB | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | George Russell | Mercedes | DNF | 0 |
| 18 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | DNF | 0 |
| 19 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | DNF | 0 |
Lance Stroll took the seventh position after Russell's mishap, putting two Aston Martins in the points, while Yuki Tsunoda gave VCARB their first points of the season in eighth. Haas scored well with Nico Hulkenberg ninth and Kevin Magnussen tenth.
F1 Australian Grand Prix: Verstappen Car trouble
After the Australian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen said that he had to retire early due to a problem with his right-rear brake. According to the driver, the problem had been there since the race had begun. Not long after that, Verstappen's RB20 started smoking, forcing the Dutch driver to carefully make his way back to the pits. This was his first retirement from a race in two years.
This defeat ends Verstappen's remarkable winning run that began after the Singapore Grand Prix last year. He had already won his past nine races and was aiming to tie last year's record-setting 10-race streak. After Verstappen retired due to a problem with the rear brakes, Red Bull confirmed the event and began investigating.
When asked about the RB20 problem by the media after retirement, Verstappen said that the problem was noticeable as soon as the race started. He claims that when the lights went out, the right rear brake seized, leading to an increase in rear brake temperature, which the crew saw in the data. Noting the unusual handling, especially in certain corners, Verstappen compared driving the vehicle to manoeuvring with the brakes applied.
This was his max Verstappen's first retirement from a race in two years.
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