After a different result than usual, there is a lot to talk about and the statistics are no exception. At the Australian GP, six months and nine consecutive victories later, Max Verstappen's triumphal streak has ended. The man who ended it was the same one who had interrupted the sequence of ten Grands Prix won in a row by the Dutchman during the past season: Carlos Sainz.
This time, however, the Spaniard was also helped by the reliability of Red Bull. Verstappen, in fact, was forced to retire after just three laps due to a irreparable failure of the hydraulic component. Let's see, therefore, the ten most interesting curiosities of Australian Grand Prix 2024.
Australian GP: the statistics
- As stated in the title, every team he made double in Melbourne he then won both titles (drivers and manufacturers) at the end of the season. The last time dates back to 2019, with Mercedes taking 1-2 at the first race in Australia and then winning the constructors' and drivers' championships with Hamilton.
- Despite the bitter taste in my mouth for a strangely less than perfect qualification and the second place finish, Leclerc equaled Niki Lauda in number of podiums in Ferrari (32). The Monegasque and the Austrian are sixth in the Cavallino's all-time rankings. The next milestone for Leclerc is Massa (36 podiums), while the record goes to the unreachable Schumacher (116).
- Race and season so far to forget Mercedes (which also drops in Fanta F1 prices). With Hamilton's engine problems and Russell's accident on the last lap, the Anglo-German team collects the first double retirement since the 2018 Austrian GP. Not counting the withdrawals, the last double finish outside the points dates back to three years ago (Azerbaijan 2021). Thus ends the strip 62 consecutive points games, the longest in the team's history (which coincidentally marked another equal one between 2013 and 2016).
Norris: on the podium, but at what cost?
- He beat his teammate in his home race and took his first podium of the season, but Norris leaves Australia with one of those statistics that no driver would wish to achieve. With the 14th podium of his career, the Briton leaves Nick Heidfeld (13) as the driver with the highest number of podiums without a victory.
- For the first time after 25 races (from Abu Dhabi GP 2022), Red Bull no longer occupies the top two positions in the championship. From Leclerc to Leclerc: the Monegasque had ended 2022 as vice champion; now he interrupts the Red Bull one-two.
- Two champions forced to retire due to mechanical problems: Verstappen and Hamilton retired in the same race for the second time since they shared the starting grid. The previous? Monza 2021, when the withdrawal came after an incident between the two.
Never so much competitiveness since 2018
- For the first time since the 2018 Chinese GP, no driver finished on the podium in the first three Grands Prix seasonal. In 2019 Hamilton and Bottas did it (with 5 doubles in a row), in 2020 again Bottas, in 2021 Hamilton and Verstappen again, in 2022 Leclerc and last year Verstappen and Alonso.
- From Australia to Australia. It's been exactly two years since Verstappen last retired before Sunday (Australia 2022). Thus ends an impressive streak of 43 races finished in a row, but leaving the record a Hamilton (48 between 2018 and 2020).
- For this statistic, you have to dig even deeper. Ferrari and McLaren occupied the top four positions for the first time since the 2007 Belgian GP (Ferrari one-two with Raikkonen ahead of Massa, then Alonso and Hamilton).
- We close the Australian GP with two statistics that give fans hope. The gap between first and second (4 points) it has never been this tight since 2013 (3 points between Vettel and Raikkonen). Furthermore, it is the first time since 2010 that the top 3 è 5 points behind. Verstappen's retirement certainly helped to "narrow" the ranking, but our hope is to see a similar gap for the rest of the season, regardless of the final winner.
