Sergio Perez of Red Bull finished second, with Mercedes' George Russell rounding out the podium.
Follow Us
The 2022 Australian Grand Prix was won by Charles Leclerc, consolidating his and Ferrari’s championship lead, while Max Verstappen retired for the second time in three races. Sergio Perez of Red Bull finished second, with Mercedes’ George Russell rounding out the podium. Melbourne’s first Australian Grand Prix in 1,100 days drew a sell-out crowd to Albert Park. On Sunday afternoon, they were treated to another thrilling show after an action-packed free practice and qualifying session.
Leclerc, who was also named Driver of the Day, was able to keep his rival Verstappen at bay thanks to two Safety Cars: the first after teammate Carlos Sainz spun out from P14 on Lap 2 and the second after Sebastian Vettel’s crash on Lap 23. On Lap 39, the threat vanished when Verstappen came to a halt with his engine on fire, allowing the Ferrari driver to cruise to victory over Perez while also setting the fastest lap.
Read More – Fernando Alonso news: Spaniard says he will race in F1 for two or three more years
Russell finished third after pitting during the caution for Vettel’s crash, while Hamilton finished fourth, two seconds behind Russell. Mercedes, however, outscored Red Bull to retain second place in the constructors’ standings. Lando Norris was a few tenths ahead of home hero Daniel Ricciardo in a strong performance for the team in orange, with Esteban Ocon eight seconds back in P7.
Read More – Valterri Bottas news: Finn predicts tactically intriguing race in Australia
Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri dropped from P8 to P9 after a penultimate corner lock-up on Lap 54, while Valtteri Bottas gained an extra position to take P8 after starting 12th. The Alfa Romeo driver took advantage of Gasly’s error, Sainz’s retirement, and Fernando Alonso’s difficult race (P17 after a late pit stop for fastest lap).
Alex Albon, one of only a few drivers to start on hards, came in late for P10, giving Williams a well-deserved first point of 2022. Zhou Guanyu made a strong 58-lap run from P14 to P11, narrowly missing out on the final point to Albon’s wily Williams.
