ROME – Ferrari claimed their first victory of the season at the Australian Grand Prix with a one-two finish in Melbourne as Spaniard Carlos Sainz won two weeks after having emergency appendix surgery.

 Sainz started the race on the front row in second, behind Max Verstappen on pole position. Charles Leclerc started the race in fourth after Checo Perez was penalised and dropped to sixth in the starting lineup.

 Many fans and commentators expected Verstappen to continue his dominant streak and win in Melbourne without any complication, however he was overtaken on the second lap by Sainz and two laps later smoke began billowing from his car. He retired on lap five due a right rear brake issue, his first DNF in two years.

 This allowed Sainz to pull ahead of the pack, while Leclerc overtook Brit Lando Norris after pitting early in the race, meaning when Norris pitted, Leclerc passed him. Ferrari kept their positions well as chaos ensued elsewhere.

 Lewis Hamilton retired from the race on lap 17 after suffering from engine failure. Hamilton is set to replace Sainz at Ferrari from next season, leaving the Spaniard currently without a seat for next year. It was a bitter day for Mercedes as George Russell crashed on the final lap, meaning the British team left Melbourne empty handed.

 The same could not be said for another British team, McLaren, finishing 3-4 at driver Oscar Piastri’s home race, with Lando Norris on the podium.

 Sainz’s win earned him driver of the day, returning to the top step on the podium only two weeks after emergency appendix surgery in Saudi Arabia. Reminiscent of last season, Sainz put an end to Red Bull’s dominance, being the only non-Red Bull driver last season and so far this season to win.

 The victory helped Ferrari close the gap in the constructors’ championship, currently in second place on 93 points, to Red Bull who sit in first place on 97 points. The 1-2 victory also saw both Ferrari drivers climb up the driver standings with Leclerc in second place and Sainz in fourth. So far, Ferrari have had a driver on the podium for every race this season.

 After his third Formula One win, Sainz joked that he was “still jobless for next year” and said he hoped the win would help him find a seat for the 2025 season.