Carlos Sainz led Charles Leclerc to a Ferrari one-two in the Australian Grand Prix as Max Verstappen’s domination of Formula 1 stalled.
Sainz swept by the world champion’s Red Bull into the lead on the second lap before the Dutchman retired with a brake failure after just four laps.
The Spaniard then controlled the race as Leclerc passed McLaren’s Lando Norris in the first pit-stop period.
The race ended under a virtual safety car after a crash for George Russell.
Chasing Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin for sixth place, the Mercedes driver lost control at Turn Six on the final lap and suffered a crash, the car coming to rest on its side, held up in the air by landing on its left-front wheel. Russell was unhurt.
Alonso and Russell were called to the stewards, who penalised the Spaniard 20 seconds, dropping him to eighth place, and gave him three penalty points on his licence for what stewards said driving “in a manner that was at very least ‘potentially dangerous’ given the very high speed nature of that point of the track”.
Alonso admitted slowing too early and then accelerating again before braking, but said he got the manoeuvre “slightly wrong”.
It was a difficult end to a sobering day for Mercedes, on which their status as also-rans was apparently confirmed – Lewis Hamilton retired after 16 laps with an engine failure.
Norris led Oscar Piastri to a McLaren three-four ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, anonymous on a day on which he was unable to capitalise on Verstappen’s retirement.
