Sainz dominance at the Australian GP 2024

The 2024 Australian Grand Prix, held under a clear sky and track temperatures of 39.5°C, presented a series of challenges and interesting strategies for teams and drivers. The race started with only 19 cars on the grid due to an accident suffered by Albon in practice, which led to Logan Sargeant taking over his car. Sergio Pérez started from the sixth position after receiving a penalty that cost him three places on the grid for blocking Hulkenberg during qualifying.

The start of the race was calm without any accidents. Carlos Sainz managed to overtake Max Verstappen on the second lap, taking the lead with an outside maneuver. However, for Verstappen, problems soon arose: he mentioned that the car felt loose and had to retire on the fifth lap due to smoke coming from the brakes.

Sainz maintained the lead while Norris, Leclerc, and Piastri fought for second place. Both Leclerc and Piastri entered the pits on lap 10, followed by Norris and Pérez five laps later. Sainz, in a strategic move, did not pit until lap 16, just as Lewis Hamilton stopped on the track, causing a yellow flag in sector 3 and the deployment of the virtual safety car.

The race resumed on lap 18, and soon we saw Pérez overtake Russell for the sixth position. The Haas team ordered Hulkenberg and Magnussen to swap positions, which put Hulkenberg in 11th place and Magnussen in 12th.

Pérez continued his advance by passing Alonso for fifth place on lap 27, and McLaren ordered its drivers to swap positions on lap 29, with Norris overtaking Piastri. The race continued with several more pit stops. On lap 38, Leclerc set the fastest lap and Piastri pitted on lap 40.

Sainz pitted on lap 46, maintaining his lead. The battle between Albon and Magnussen for the 11th position was intense, and with Norris setting the fastest lap on lap 47. Gasly received a 5-second penalty for crossing the pit lane exit line.

In the final laps, the competition intensified. Leclerc set the fastest lap with two laps to go, but a severe crash by Russell on the final lap led to the race ending under virtual safety car conditions and with a yellow flag.

Sainz took the victory, followed by Leclerc and Norris, completing a 1-2 for Ferrari. This win marked an important achievement for Sainz, being the only driver in more than a year to beat Red Bull, and this happened just two weeks after his appendicitis surgery.