Since the start of the 2022 season, no Formula 1 driver has matched the dominant run currently underway by Max Verstappen.
In his last 46 starts, Verstappen has won a total of 36 races, including a record 19 wins in the 2023 season alone. He started 2024 with two more big wins, leading most fans to believe that another season of Verstappen is shaking up the field, with every other team competing for second place at best.
That’s why the opening lap in Australia on Sunday was shocking. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz overtook Verstappen on lap 2, which was surprising in itself. And things quickly unraveled on the next lap when Verstappen suffered serious brake problems.
Verstappen entered the pit lane knowing there was a major problem with his brakes, and his right rear brake exploded as he entered the pits. That knocked him out of the race. It gave fans a rare and fascinating battle for the race win between non-Red Bull teams. With Sergio Perez rounding out the top ten, the race for the podium was realistically between four drivers: Sainz, his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piatri.
Verstappen’s Red Bull have been an incredibly reliable team over the past two championship seasons. His final race retirement has come precisely This bitch He previously missed out on the 2022 Australian Grand Prix at the same track.
Mechanical problems are never something to celebrate, but Verstappen’s problems created an unexpected battle for victory. This is something F1 hasn’t produced very often over the past few years.
In the end, Carlos Sainz won his third Grand Prix victory and won the Ferrari championship for three consecutive seasons. Leclerc finished second and Norris rounded out the podium.
