No Formulation 1 driver has ever matched the dominant run that Max Verstappen has presently been on for the reason that begin of the 2022 season.
In his final 46 begins, Verstappen has received a complete of 36 races, together with a document whole of 19 wins within the 2023 season alone. He started 2024 with two extra resounding wins, main most followers to consider that they’re in for an additional season of Verstappen lapping the sector, whereas all the opposite groups battle for second place at finest.
That’s why on Sunday in Australia, the opening laps have been stunning. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz handed Verstappen on lap 2, a shock in its personal proper, and issues shortly unraveled for Verstappen on the following lap, when he suffered a catastrophic brake challenge.
Verstappen may inform he had huge points together with his brakes and pulled into the pit lane, the place the best rear brake exploded as he entered the pits. That knocked him out of the race – giving followers a uncommon, fascinating battle for a race win between non-Pink Bull groups. With Sergio Perez within the again half of the highest 10, the race for the rostrum was realistically between 4 drivers – Sainz, his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, and McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen’s Pink Bull has been unbelievably dependable over his final two championship seasons. His final race retirement got here precisely two years in the past at the exact same monitor, when he was knocked out of the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
Whereas mechanical points are by no means one thing to have fun, Verstappen’s points did make for an sudden race for the win, one thing F1 hasn’t produced fairly often in the previous couple of years.
Ultimately, Carlos Sainz picked up his third profession Grand Prix victory, giving him a win for Ferrari in three consecutive seasons. Leclerc completed second, and Norris rounded out the rostrum.
