Dominator to the end: after exiting from the pole position, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) conquered the Australian Grand Prix with authority this Sundaymarked by abandonment of his rival for the title, the world champion Max Verstappen (Redbull).
On the asphalt melbourne albert park circuitwith the presence of 420,000 spectators throughout the weekend, the Monegasque surpassed the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), 2nd at 20 seconds, and the British George Russell (Mercedes), 3rd to 25 seconds.
In the fourth win of his career – his second this season after the opening heat in Bahrain – Leclerc even claimed the fastest lap in the race.
“What a car today! This weekend we were very strong, the tires were excellent. I’m so happy. It’s amazing to win here”, the winner congratulated.
“We are only in the third race, so it is difficult to think about the championship, but we have a very strong and reliable car. It’s great to be back in this position,” she continued.
In the general ranking of pilots Leclerc now has 71 points and surpasses George Russell (37), his Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. (33), and Sergio Pérez (30). Verstappen. Verstappen slips back to 6th place with 25 points behind Lewis Hamilton (28).
But victim of a mechanical problem and forced to abandon with the engine on fireon lap 39 of the planned 58, Verstappenwho arrived in Australia as 3rd in the World Cup, had a nightmare weekend.
“We have to finish the races. Today was a bad dayI was managing the tyres, I couldn’t fight Charles,” Vertappen said.
After starting second, a position he held until his retirement, the Dutch estimated that the situation is “frustrating” He added: “This kind of thing, if you want to fight for the title, is unacceptable.”
in Bahrainat the middle of March, Verstappen had already had to leave due to a breakdown three laps from the finish, and then won the next race, in Saudi Arabia.
Leclerc’s teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr.., second in the overall drivers standings before the Australian stage, did not have a good weekend: after a modest 9th place in the standings, the driver lost control of his car, ending his career in gravel. Then he couldn’t boot back up.
Besides Spanish, Sebastian Vettelwho was returning to competition after missing the first two rounds due to COVID-19, was also forced to leave after hitting the wall.
Mercedes back?
The abandonment of Verstappen allowed the British George Russell go up to third step of the podium. The second of the season for the current world champion team, after Hamilton’s third place finish in Bahrain. After starting 5th, the seven-time world champion finished 4th.
Although since the beginning of the season the team shows difficulties in dealing with its original aerodynamic carDoes this classification predict an imminent return of the ‘Silver Arrows’ to the leading positions? “Today we got a little lucky,” Russell acknowledged.
“There is such an amount of work to get back to the level. We are never going to give up, we were far behind and yet we are there, on the podium. If anyone can do it, it’s Mercedes,” he proclaimed.
For hamiltonIt’s about a excellent result for us as a team”.
Fernando Alonso, finished 17th at the wheel of his Alpine, the last classified of those who could cross the finish line.
“I’m devastated with this weekendTo be honest. It’s hard to accept the result after the bad luck we had in Saudi Arabia and again here in Melbourne”, lamented Alonso, affected by the regrouping caused by a departure from safety car. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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