F1 – YOU have to go back to Australia 2022, 43 races ago, to find a time when Max Verstappen didn’t finish an F1 race. This weekend, he was looking for his 10th straight victory, which would have been another record in the sport. His rear brakes, however, had other ideas and opened the window of opportunity for a new victor in 2024.
Throughout the course of the weekend, it wasn’t immediately clear who would be in the mix for podium places. Commentators often talk about how a track evolves over the three days of racing, which might sound odd to a casual fan.
However, as support races lay down rubber, track temperatures change, combined with car set-up alterations throughout the weekend, the racing order tends to change quite significantly. This was particularly apparent in Melbourne.
In practice, Mercedes looked to be up there, with Aston Martin also looking promising, in and around the Ferraris and McLarens. However, when it came to qualifying it was clear that behind Red Bull, it was Ferrari and McLaren who were leading the rest of the field and it feels like that gap to the rest has become more defined since the start of the season.
Whilst Verstappen took pole on Saturday, the margin of 0.2 seconds was smaller than of late, with Carlos Sainz just behind in second. Sergio Perez had qualified third, but a three-grid penalty for blocking during qualifying put Lando Norris into third, followed by Charles Leclerc and the home favourite, Oscar Piastri.
As soon as the lights went out yesterday in Australia, in front of a passionate record crowd in Melbourne, it was immediately obvious that Verstappen had a problem. With smoke pouring out of the rear of his car, he fought to try and work out the issue, but just three laps into the race he retired the car for what turned out to be a brake issue.
Just prior to that, Sainz had actually overtaken the world champion and so there were already high hopes for a tight contest. But with the exit of Verstappen, the race was there for the taking for any of the top four.
Tyre strategy is always important in Australia, as wear is generally very high. The general consensus was that a two-stop strategy was the preferred option but, as ever, the timing of these stops would make all the difference. Over the course of the race, it became clear that those who looked after their tyres and stopped later would be better off, which was to the advantage of both Sainz and Norris relative to their team mates.
With Sainz looking in complete control for pretty much all of the race, it was easy to forget that just two weeks ago he had his appendix removed and it wasn’t obvious that he would even be able to race this weekend.
So, when he crossed the line in first to a standing ovation, it represented one of the greatest and bravest returns to racing seen for some time in the sport. Leclerc was a comfortable second but never really looked like challenging for the win.
Overall, it will be of huge satisfaction that Ferrari took this golden opportunity. The history of hesitation and questionable strategy calls over recent years seems a long time ago now and team boss Frederic Vasseur has clearly instilled a new and confident atmosphere within the team.
Talking about confidence, McLaren will have taken much from the weekend. A third-place podium for Norris and Piastri just behind in fourth, with lap times regularly up there with Ferrari, showed the continuation of a plan which is delivering for the team.
The next race in Japan will be a circuit that suits their car even better, so expectations will be high for more success.
Rather less happy will have been the team at Mercedes. After some early promise in practice, their performance faded away over the weekend. To add to their woes, Lewis Hamilton had an engine problem and retired on lap 17 and George Russell had an accident on the very last lap, meaning a double DNF for the team.
Also conspicuous with his absence amongst the front-runners was Perez, who could only manage to finish fifth. He put this down to a questionable strategy call which left him out longer than other cars in the first stint. Notwithstanding that, the team would have expected more from him, given the opportunity created by Verstappen’s exit.
However, this weekend will be remembered for the great Sainz comeback. Over 450,00 people attended the race weekend in Melbourne, which was a new record.
Whilst they didn’t get the dream of a home podium for Piastri, they were treated to some incredible racing and a return for Sainz which a couple of weeks ago would have been unthinkable from his hospital bed.
F1 returns in two weeks for another fan-favourite race in Japan.
* Laurence Jones is senior manager, Marketing and Communications,
Bahrain International Circuit
l.jones@bic.com.bh