Max Verstappen Wins The Australian Grand Prix Even After Numerous Red flags!
When the Australian Grand Prix was halted three times due to accidents on the track, Max Verstappen was at the forefront of a wave of driver criticism of the decision-making. The world champion condemned it as a disaster and blamed the regulatory organisation, the FIA.
Max Verstappen Wins The Australian Grand Prix Even After Numerous Red flags!
While Verstappen put on a strong performance to win in Melbourne, it was only after three red-flag stops, mayhem and uncertainty, and a finish behind the safety car. With four laps remaining, there was a second red flag, which resulted in a standing restart from which there were many accidents, resulting in another halt and an additional 30-minute delay.
Back where we want to be☝️
Today completes a really good weekend for us @redbullracing @HondaRacingGLB 💪 Very happy with that 🙌
Thank you Australia for your great support all weekend 👏 pic.twitter.com/X9j8Tom5zv
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) April 2, 2023
“I am very happy to have won, but the race towards the end was a bit of a mess,” he said. “I just didn’t understand why we needed a red flag. It left a lot of drivers confused. If we would have had a safety car and then a normal rolling start we wouldn’t have had all these shunts and then you have a normal finish. So they created the problems themselves.
“We’ll talk about it, I think it left a lot of drivers confused about why we needed a red flag. We’ll talk in Baku.”
Max Verstappen has matched Ayrton Senna for career podiums.
He's still only 25 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vhHMnZOpFZ
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) April 2, 2023
During the start, attention was focused on the front two rows, which included Max Verstappen of Red Bull, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin.
Hamilton had a strong start and managed to grab the lead out of Turn 1, but he would not have the opportunity to widen the margin due of the drama that was developing behind him.
DRIVER STANDINGS 📊
Max Verstappen extends his lead 💪
And, Lewis Hamilton moves up the order! #AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/VoVTq8lGjc
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 2, 2023
After what was later determined to have been a racing collision with Lance Stroll of an Aston Martin, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started P7, was sent spinning into the Turn 3 gravel trap. In Australia, a Ferrari retired on the opening lap for the second year in a succession. Carlos Sainz received this distinction the previous year.
Six cars were engaged in collisions during the second restart, raising concerns about whether the stoppages, which restrict the field and are followed by spectacular standing starts, were being used purely to enhance the spectacle.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS IN AUSTRALIA!!! 🇦🇺🏆
The Dutchman reigns supreme to take a maiden win Down Under after a chaotic race!!!! 🤯#AusGP @Max33Verstappen @redbullracing pic.twitter.com/TWDBqanqQo
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 2, 2023
Just a few circuits after the safety car restart did Williams’ Alex Albon hit the tyre barrier, bringing up the first red light and disappointingly ending his fantastic weekend.
Again starting from a standing position, Verstappen soon overtook Hamilton right before Turn 9 despite Hamilton having another strong leap off the line. Even though there are just 15 turns on the course, Verstappen had pulled ahead of Hamilton by two seconds by the time the lap was over.
The race-winning move by Max Verstappen on Lewis Hamilton!! 🚀😮💨#AusGP #F1 @Max33Verstappen pic.twitter.com/9iry7Vo0f0
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 2, 2023
The Dutchman won the Australian Grand Prix and his second victory of the year with hardly any opposition. His advantage in the Drivers’ Championship Standings was also increased by it. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton joined him on the podium.
Carlos Sainz and Fernando positioned themselves in the second row for the restart. Sainz spun his countryman inside a few turns, igniting a frantic series of events that resulted in both Alpines colliding with one another. The squad lost out on a great point total because of that.
Regarding Max starting the restart 'outside of the box',
He will not get a penalty for it as his contact patch is on the line, not ‘outside' of the box, as per the rules. pic.twitter.com/51gpQxuZ1T
— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) April 2, 2023
With an order determined by the grid from that standing start, the race came to a close behind a safety car. There were no pitwall celebrations, which was hardly the most exhilarating way to close a race.
Yet the drama wasn’t ended yet. Sainz was given a 5-second penalty for starting the altercation with Alonso just before to the last safety car crossing the finish line. Due of this, he fell from P3 to P12. This dropped him from P3 to P12. It was another nightmare in Australia for Ferrari, who failed to score a point. That made them a distant P4 in the Constructors’ Standings.
Max Verstappen has now won a race at as many circuits as Michael Schumacher pic.twitter.com/BGf0cRS1bt
— ✯ 1 (@Willseh14) April 2, 2023
On lap 18, it appeared as though Russell’s power unit had a meltdown since flames were coming out the rear of it. His day was effectively finished by this bringing out a virtual safety car, which would have given Mercedes a victory by a margin of two points.
From that VSC until about lap 54, the race was an endurance contest to see who could keep a pair of hard tyres going to the checkered flag. The greatest twist, though, occurred on lap 54 when Kevin Magnussen of Haas impacted a wall, causing his right front tyre to blow off the rim.
Very happy with my Quali and to be on Pole here in Melbourne!
Looking forward to tomorrow's race @redbullracing 💪 pic.twitter.com/1NeVSsLwbd
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) April 1, 2023
Due of this, he fell from P3 to P12. Ferrari’s failure to score a point in Australia was yet another nightmare. They were a far P4 in the Constructors’ Standings as a result.
“Nothing against them, but the people who make decisions don’t know what’s going on inside the car,” said McLaren’s Lando Norris. “The whole point of red-flagging … it feels like it was just to put on a show. Someone does something stupid at turn one, locks up and your race is over because [the FIA] just wants to make the show more exciting.”
MAX VERSTAPPEN TAKES POLE IN MELBOURNE!!! 🤩#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/Y4QzZbTe3Z
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 1, 2023
The Mercedes driver George Russell, who took the lead from Verstappen off the start but was then put at a disadvantage after the first red flag, was also critical of the FIA.
“I thought the red flag was totally unnecessary,” he said. “I don’t really know what’s going on with some of the decisions at the moment. We’re all trying to work together with the FIA to improve things but it’s seemingly a bit of a challenge.”