Red Bull’s Max Verstappen emerged victorious In a thrilling and chaotic Australian Grand Prix, after fending off a resurgent Lewis Hamilton in a race that was red-flagged three times due to multiple crashes.
Starting from pole position, the defending champion was passed by the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Hamilton but remained composed to clinch his second win of the season and extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings.
Fernando Alonso secured his third consecutive podium finish by coming third for Aston Martin.
Verstappen’s triumph marked his maiden win in Melbourne and Red Bull’s first in Australia since Sebastian Vettel’s 2011 victory. However, it was a disastrous day for last year’s winner, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who spun out on the first lap. Meanwhile, Russell’s race came to a fiery end on lap 19 when his car caught fire.
Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s teammate and winner in Saudi Arabia, impressively fought his way from last on the grid to fifth place, behind Lance Stroll in the other Aston Martin.
The race was marred by unbelievable late drama, with a red flag deployed when Verstappen had a comfortable lead with two laps remaining. The restart saw an all-out attack to the finish, but chaos ensued when Alonso was clipped by Carlos Sainz and sent into a spin, causing a chain reaction of crashes. Sainz was eventually penalized and finished 12th.
In a rollercoaster of emotions, Alonso expressed gratitude for his third-place finish, acknowledging Mercedes’ incredible pace and Hamilton’s superb driving. Lando Norris secured a sixth place for McLaren, while Haas’ Niko Hulkenberg came seventh and rookie Oscar Piastri an encouraging eighth on his home circuit.
The race saw multiple safety car deployments and red flags, but Verstappen’s blistering pace and calmness under pressure ultimately secured his win. The Dutchman extended his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings, with Red Bull firmly establishing themselves as the team to beat this season.
