by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed his first Australian Grand Prix on Sunday in remarkable circumstances after a chaotic F1 race filled with drama from green light to checkered flag.
Although Red Bull’s first win in Melbourne since 2011 was expected, the carnage that unfolded in the closing stages of the race at Albert Park made it a hard-fought win.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, driving his Mercedes superbly, finished second, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso took third on the podium.
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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands waves to fans during a drivers’ parade ahead of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne on Sunday, April 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
Only 12 of the 20 entrants finished the race, and Australian Oscar Piastri made the most of the disorder to finish eighth and claim his first championship points for McLaren.
Verstappen was pleased to claim victory but questioned the stewards’ decision to issue a red flag after a crash on lap 55 of the 58-lap race rather than deploy a safety car.
He held a comfortable lead on that stage, but then had to fight to keep Hamilton’s lead when the race restarted.
“Of course we are happy to win the race, but I think the race itself towards the end was a bit tricky with all the calls,” Verstappen said. “He left a lot of drivers confused as to why we needed a second red flag. It was pretty messy today.”
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands leads during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne on Sunday, April 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Hamilton was delighted with the improvement Mercedes showed in Melbourne, which included a competitive qualifying on Saturday.
“It was very unexpected,” he said. “Getting a second and a third in qualifying yesterday surprised us all and provided a huge boost of energy throughout the team.”
At the lap 55 restart, Verstappen was able to hold off Hamilton into the first corner as chaos unfolded behind his Red Bull, resulting in a rearrangement of the order of finish.
Alonso, who had challenged Hamilton for second position for much of the race, was hit by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz at the first corner of the restart.
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Sainz, whose Ferrari showed good speed throughout the race, received a five-second penalty that relegated him to 12th.
The Ferrari driver was upset with the decision and Alonso said later that he believed the penalty imposed on his rival was too harsh.
In a separate incident, Williams driver Logan Sargeant rear-ended Nyck de Vries and the Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly also left the race after colliding with each other.
Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen runs into a corner during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne on Sunday, April 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed on the opening lap, while the Mercedes of former leader George Russell caught fire on lap 18.
After claiming his first pole position in Australia on Saturday, Verstappen was passed at the first corner by Russell in a lively opening.
By turn three, Hamilton had also passed the Dutchman, raising the possibility that an improved Mercedes team could pull off a stunning upset.
But those hopes were diminished when Williams’ Alexander Albon lost control on lap 7 and crashed into the wall, resulting in the first red flag.
Russell had already headed to the pits when the race stewards decided that the debris left on the track from the accident was a safety issue that could only be resolved by stopping the race.
This left the English driver in seventh place, although he was forced to abandon the race shortly after the restart.
“When it’s not your day, it’s not your day,” Russell wrote on social media.
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The race resumed with Verstappen stalking Hamilton at the front of the field and the two-time world champion used the superior speed of his Red Bull to take the lead on lap 12.
