Verstappen triumphs after a crazy Grand Prix that lasted almost three hours, in a podium of only world champions with Hamilton e Alonso. The Ferrari does not win even one point: Leclerc has ritirato on the first round and Sainz fell to 12esimo place for a penalty in the final chaos. Let's go over everything that happened during the race.
1-2 Mercedes in the early stages
At the race start Russell it snaps perfectly and takes the first position on Verstappen, then also passed by Hamilton in turn 3. Meanwhile, a Leclerc too optimistic he closes on Stroll and ends up in the gravel, forced to training camp. A 2023 so far to forget for the Monegasque, with two unfinished races and a seventh place.
Get on the track there safety car and Ocon took the opportunity to mount the hard tyres. At the restart, after a brief three-way battle between the two Mercedes and Verstappen, the Albon forces the race direction to Red flag: too much debris and gravel brought onto the track by the number 23 Williams.
Verstappen takes the lead
The red flag damages the race by Russell e Sainz, returned to the pits when the race was still underway. After two laps from the restart, Verstappen passes Hamilton and becomes like this leader of the race, while Sainz and Russell try to rebuild their race.
The race of the number 63 of the Mercedes, however, goes from bad to worse: on the 18th lap he is forced to training camp due to engine problems. First reliability problem for Russell since he's been at Mercedes. Sainz, however, continues his comeback and is fourth, behind Verstappen, Hamilton and Alonso.
Great race of gasly, fifth with Alpine, and by Norris, eighth with a McLaren that seems faster than the first two races. The night continues, however, for Alfa Romeo and Williams, still dry of points after the first three rounds.
With 5 laps to go, Magnussen yes retires after losing a tire and brings out the third safety car of the day (fourth if the virtual one is counted). After two laps, it's back to normal Red flag. When restarting, the Chaos: involved Sergeant, the two Alpine, the two Aston Martin, Perez e De Vries.
Chaos about the final classification: restore the one before the restart or the one after the restart? In the first case, the podium would be Verstappen-Hamilton-Alonso, in the second Verstappen-Hamilton-Sainz. Alonso, who is out of the points after being rammed by Sainz, would like the previous classification to be restored and opens up on the radio for this.
You decide to finish the race behind the safety car: the safety car will re-enter and there will be a catwalk on the straight to the finish, according to the starting order before lap 56. In the meantime, Sainz is penalized of 5 seconds for his accident with Alonso and thus slips into 12th position. So on the podium Verstappen, Hamilton e Alonso. Three world champions in the first three places have not been seen since the 2018 Hungarian GP (then with Hamilton and the two Ferraris of Vettel and Raikkonen).
Follow Stroll, Perez (fifth after starting from the pitlane, elected pilot of the day), Norris, Hulkenberg, Piastres, Zhou e tsunoda. Excellent weekend for McLaren who puts both cars in the top 10 after two weekends to forget. Zhou brings the first points to Alfa-Sauber and confirms himself better than Bottas at the start of the season. Hulkenberg finishes in the points for the first time since Nurburgring 2020, after briefly being in P4.
Verstappen extends so in the league on Perez and Alonso, while Hamilton it carries in fourth position , Ferrari leaves Melbourne dry of points and with a bad taste in the mouth for a potential podium taken away by the final chaos. The Next appointment a Baku il 30th April it will be an opportunity for many teams to bring updates and change the course of this season.
