A clean sweep occurred at the F1 Melbourne GP, but it wasn't achieved by the expected contender.

tháng 3 25, 2024

A clean sweep occurred at the F1 Melbourne GP, but it wasn't achieved by the expected contender.

A complete turnaround occurred at Melbourne as all preconceived notions were shattered. Unexpectedly, Red Bull faced mechanical issues, spoiling Max Verstappen's promising position on pole. Mercedes also experienced a forgettable day, with Lewis Hamilton retiring after just 16 laps due to engine failure. This left Ferrari and McLaren to battle it out, with Ferrari ultimately securing a one-two victory. Even within Ferrari, expectations were overturned as Carlos Sainz momentarily took the lead, reversing the usual driver rankings.

Sainz's victory marks a disruption to Verstappen and Red Bull's recent dominance, reminiscent of his win at the Singapore Grand Prix last year. His success also dashes Verstappen's hopes of matching his own record of winning 10 Grand Prix races in a row.

For Sainz, this victory in his final season with Ferrari brings a sense of vindication, especially amid speculation of Ferrari potentially pairing Charles Leclerc with Lewis Hamilton in 2025, leaving Sainz sidelined. However, in Melbourne, Sainz showcased his talent in the spotlight, sparking discussions about which team he might join for the 2025 season.

Meanwhile, Leclerc secured yet another podium finish and contributed to Ferrari's one-two victory, also setting the fastest race lap. Norris led Oscar Piastri to secure a McLaren three-four finish, ahead of Red Bull's Sergio Perez.

Verstappen's early retirement due to mechanical issues was a rare occurrence, with his last retirement at the Australian Grand Prix in 2022, coincidentally the same year as Ferrari's last one-two victory.

Sainz closely followed Verstappen in the early stages of the race at Melbourne, with a record crowd of over 130,000 spectators in attendance and nearly half a million fans throughout the weekend. On the second lap, Verstappen made a mistake at Turn Three, allowing Sainz to overtake him along the curved 'straight' leading to Turns Nine and 10.

Verstappen informed his team via radio that he had lost control of the rear of his car, and a lap later, he expressed frustration about the car feeling unstable. Shortly thereafter, smoke began emanating from his right rear wheel, signaling the end of his race as his brakes caught fire.

Carlos Sainz's path to victory was smooth sailing once he overtook Verstappen. With Leclerc initially held up behind Norris in the first stint, Sainz capitalized on the situation to establish a comfortable lead. Ferrari strategically brought Leclerc in for an early pit stop on lap nine, allowing him to successfully undercut Norris, who stopped five laps later and rejoined the track behind the Ferrari.

Sainz made his pit stop on lap 16 and emerged just a second ahead of his teammate Charles. He then steadily extended his lead to nearly nine seconds before Leclerc made his second stop. Sainz maintained control of the race until it ended under a virtual safety car following George Russell's crash. Russell's incident resulted from a collision with Fernando Alonso on the final lap, leading to Alonso receiving a drive-through penalty converted to a 20-second time penalty for potentially dangerous driving, which dropped him to eighth place from sixth.

In terms of the Driver Championship Standings, despite Verstappen's two wins, he still holds the world championship lead, four points ahead of Leclerc. Perez for Red Bull sits in third place, just one point behind Leclerc. Sainz, who emerged victorious in Melbourne despite recently recovering from appendix surgery, is dangerously close behind Perez in fourth place, trailing by only 6 points.

A clean sweep occurred at the F1 Melbourne GP, but it wasn't achieved by the expected contender.

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