Carlos Sainz wins Australian F1 Grand Prix as Max Verstappen retires early – as it happened | Formula One

Giles Richards has wrapped up all the action at the Australian F1 Grand Prix 2024 with a race report:

Sainz speaking on the coverage: “It was a really good race. I felt really good out there. Of course a bit stiff. Especially physically it wasn’t the easiest but I was lucky that I was more or less on my own and I could manage my pace, manage the tyres, manage everything. It wasn’t the toughest races of all.

“Very happy, very proud of the team. Happy to be in a one-two with Charles here. It shows that the hard work pays off. Life, sometimes it’s crazy. What happened at the beginning of the year then the podium in Bahrain, then the appendix, then the come back, and the win. It’s a rollercoaster but I love it and I’m extremely happy.”

Sainz salutes with the Australian GP trophy, the first time a driver other than Verstappen lifted the trophy since… well, Sainz did it back in Singapore last season. It’s the third win in the Spaniards career.

The Dutchman will have to wait to equal his record ten straight wins, with his first opportunity to start a new streak coming in Japan in two weeks’ time.

Time for the anthems and for the first time in a long time, it’s not the Dutch and Austrian ones ringing out over the track. First, the Spanish anthem for race-winner Sainz, then the Italian anthem for Ferrari.

Side note, Alex Albon’s eleventh-placed finish means that he’s finished outside the points today. A penny for Logan Sargeant’s thoughts.

They’ll be dancing on Lygon St tonight!

How it finished in Melbourne

A record crowd has been on hand in Melbourne across this week, nearly half a million punters heading though the gates. And what a way to end it.

“This is amazing,” says Sainz as he thanks his garage. The driver-for-hire goes from missing Saudi Arabia through illness to saluting as part of a historic Ferrari one-two in Melbourne. Who needs an appendix?

Carlos Sainz wins the Australian Grand Prix!

57/58: Russell has smashed into the wall! We’re going to finish under a virtual safety car as he gets on the radio to say he’s ok.

56/59: Sainz is on the radio raising some concerns about his tyres but he’s only got to get through a few more minutes. Leclerc has just set a fastest lap as he looks to protect second from Norris.

55/58: The most fraught battle for positioning remains the fight for sixth, with Russell all over the back of Alonso.

Sainz maintaines his lead from Leclerc, Norris, Piastri and Perez.

54/58: Russell continues to attack Alonso for sixth, with the Mercedes looking like it has the DRS-assisted speed to overhaul the Aston Martin.

53/58: Five laps to go and it remains a Ferrari one-two, with Sainz leading Leclerc. The Mclaren’s of Norris and Piastri come next, followed by Alonso, Russell, Stroll, Tsunoda and Hülkenberg

52/58: Down the grid, the two Haas are doing battle for tenth, with Hülkenberg doing his best to hold off Magnussen for a place in the points.

51/58: Short of disaster, we’re going to get a podium of Sainz, Leclerc, and Norris, with Piastri ten seconds back of his Mclaren teammate in fourth.

50/58: Russell continues to put the pressure on sixth-placed Alonso, who isn’t making much ground on fifth-placed Perez – 17 seconds back.

49/58: Norris has set another fastest lap as he tries to chase down second-placed Leclerc, with the gap now down to less than four seconds.

48/59: With ten laps to go, Sainz leads from Leclerc, Norris, Piastri, Perez, Alonso, Russell, Stroll, Tsunoda, and Hülkenberg.

47/58: Great stat from the broadcast, the last time we had a Ferrari one-two followed by Mclaren was when Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa, Alonso, and Hamilton occupied the top four in Spa in 2007.

46/58: Norris has set a new fastest lap of the race as he tries to chase down the second-placed Ferrari of Leclerc, the gap now four seconds.

45/58: No one-stop strategy for Russell as he moves into the pit lane. Perez moves into fifth and Alonso into sixth, with the Mercedes now with some fresh tyres to chase down the former champion.

44/58: Sainz leads, Leclerc in second and Norris in third. Piastri fourth from Russell, Perez, Alonso, Stroll, Tsunoda, and Hülkenberg.

43/58: Email from Jonathan with one for the F1 historians/trivia heads.

“With Lewis and Max retiring in this race, Alonso is the only world champion still on track. Has there ever been a race with fewer world champions on track? Or fewer total championships than the 2 that Alonso has?”

42/58: So the top four has all pitted twice now, with Sainz leading from Leclerc, Norris, and Piastri. Russell and his crew, meanwhile, are contemplating a one-stop strategy, per the coverage.

41/58: Sainz moves into pit lane. It’s a good stop and he comes out seven seconds clear of Leclerc.