Max Verstappen with Red Bull extended his leadership at the helm of the Formula One World Championship by winning the crazy Australian Grand Prix this Sunday, which was held -with three red flags- at the semi-urban circuit of Albert Park in Melbourne and in which the Spanish Fernando Alonso with Aston Martin conceded his great moment with a new podium, the third in the first three races of the year.
Verstappen, 25, modified his 37th F1 victory – his second of the season – by winning ahead of England’s Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes Benz and Alonso, who finished third, creating his 101st podium finish in the premier class.
The Asturian double world champion finished third this Sunday at Albert Park; where two consecutive interruptions were decreed with three to go to complete the 58 laps scheduled.
First, due to the accident of the Danish Kevin Magnussen with Haas and then due to the mishaps that occurred following the second re-start, in which Sainz touched Alonso -who had lost third place in favor of his compatriot and returned to track eleventh- before the race management decreed that the race would restart, for the third time, with a single lap, behind the safety car.
Sainz was penalized with five seconds, so not only did he lose fourth place, but a race ended out of the points in which the Mexican Sergio Pérez with Red Bull led the great comeback, finishing fifth following having started from the ‘pit lane’.
The Mexican had a great race that allowed him to climb a good number of positions and finish in fifth place at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
The Guadalajara driver recovered places in a race full of breaks and crashes, but ended up with an extra point for setting the fastest lap.
The Spanish Fernando Alonso achieved his 101st podium in the premier class, the third in a row: something he has not achieved since 2013, in his penultimate year at Ferrari.
The Asturian double world champion – who at 41 is facing his twentieth season in F1 – was third at the Bahrain premiere and repeated that position two weeks ago, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
And this Sunday, by finishing third in Melbourne, he drilled his third podium in a row: something that had not happened for almost ten years, when he chained three second places in the Belgian, Italian and Singapore Grands Prix.
Before the start of this season, Fernando had last climbed into the drawer on November 21, 2021, by finishing third in the then debutant Qatar Grand Prix, which was won by the Englishman Lewis Hamilton ahead of the Dutchman Max Verstappen.
