Verstappen reigns in chaos and Fernando Alonso does not get off the podium

Carlos Sainz finishes twelfth due to a penalty after colliding with the Asturian at the restart

MADRID, 2 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) has won the chaotic Australian Grand Prix this Sunday, the third round of the Formula 1 World Cup, which had to be interrupted three times to end with the cars entering the finish line behind the safety car, with the Spanish Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) third behind the British Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) twelfth and last after being sanctioned with five seconds for taking the Asturian ahead in the restart.

The first red flag came on lap eight at Albert Park after Thai Alex Albon (Williams) lost the rear of his car hitting the barriers at turn 6. Verstappen, overtaken by the two Mercedes at the start, He was second behind Hamilton at the time and had problems at the restart, but found his rhythm and a short time later realized Hamilton.

As the defending champion was preparing to celebrate victory, with only two laps to go, the race had to be interrupted again; Dane Kevin Magnussen's Haas crashed into a wall and lost the right rear tire, and the red flag waved again.

The FIA ​​decided to restart the race with a restart, but a multiple accident, with the Alpines touching each other and Sainz taking Alonso ahead, caused a third red flag. "What a stupid rule! Check, because the same thing happened a year ago at Silverstone and everything was restarted. Check it quickly!" Alonso asked on the radio, reporting that the car was "fine".

The Race Management decided to resume the event behind the safety car in the order of the previous start, that is, with the two-time world champion third and the Madrid driver fourth, considering that the cars had not gone through the first sector and that any overtaking did not count

In addition, it also reported a severe five-second penalty for Sainz, who was definitely out of the points. "It is unacceptable, they must wait until the end of the race and discuss it with me. Please tell them," he told his team over the radio. However, the penalty was not revoked.

In this way, Verstappen celebrated his second victory of the course ahead of Hamilton and Alonso, with only 12 cars finishing the race. Thus, he established himself as the leader of the Drivers' Championship with 69 points, ahead of his teammate, the Mexican Sergio 'Checo' Pérez (Red Bull), with 54, and the Spaniard, with 45.

All in a fantastic appointment for Aston Martin, which remains in second place in the Constructors' World Championship thanks also to the fourth place of Canadian Lance Stroll, just ahead of a 'Checo' Pérez who executed a good race to come back from the last position exit to the fifth.

Things were worse for Ferrari, who, in addition to regretting Sainz's sanction, who was left out of the points, had to see how the Monegasque Charles Leclerc had to abandon after colliding with Stroll in turn 3 during the first lap; the current runner-up in the world only accumulates six points in three races.

The 'silver arrows', for their part, could not complete the 'sorpasso', despite the fact that they celebrated Hamilton's podium. The British George Russell, who came to lead the event after overtaking 'Mad Max' at the start, was weighed down by successive yellow and red flags before having to retire with his car on fire.