Sainz wins Australian GP as Ferrari claim first 1-2 of 2024 season

Race overview and conditions

Carlos Sainz took the chequered flag in 1:20:26.843 across 58 laps of the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, delivering Ferrari their first victory of the 2024 season. Conditions were dry and cool throughout, with air temperatures ranging from 19.5 to 20.2 °C and the track surface running between 36.7 and 39.6 °C. A light north-westerly breeze and zero rainfall meant the circuit offered no excuses for the chasing pack.

Sainz started from 2nd on the grid; his team-mate Charles Leclerc from 4th; Lando Norris from 3rd.

Opening phase and early VSC

The first significant interruption came when a yellow flag in sector 15 on lap 17 prompted the deployment of a Virtual Safety Car. Double-yellow conditions followed almost immediately in the same sector before the VSC period ended at the start of lap 18.

Earlier, on lap 10, Lewis Hamilton had a lap time deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 2, a reminder that the stewards were monitoring the circuit's boundaries closely throughout the afternoon.

Mid-race incidents and penalties

The regulatory activity intensified through the middle stint. Pierre Gasly had his lap 41 time removed for a Turn 2 track-limits violation. The Alpine driver then compounded his afternoon on lap 48 when the stewards handed him a five-second time penalty for crossing the pit-exit line in breach of the race director's instructions — an infringement that had been noted on lap 45 and placed under investigation on lap 47.

Valtteri Bottas attracted his own scrutiny around the same phase of the race. A pit-lane infringement was logged against the Sauber driver on lap 44 and referred to the post-race stewards for investigation.

Late drama: second VSC and Alonso–Russell incident

With the race seemingly settled, the final lap brought a flurry of incidents. Yellow flags appeared in sectors 8 and 9 on lap 58, triggering a second Virtual Safety Car deployment. The same lap saw contact between Fernando Alonso and George Russell at Turn 6, which was noted and placed under stewards' investigation before the cars had even reached the finish line. Further double-yellow flags spread through sectors 9 and 10, as well as sector 16, in the closing minutes, painting a chaotic picture even as Sainz eased to victory.

Alonso came home 8th; Russell's championship tally of 18 points after three rounds confirms he scored points in Melbourne, placing him 7th in the drivers' standings.

Final result and performance detail

Sainz crossed the line 2.366 seconds ahead of Leclerc, both having converted grid positions of 2nd and 4th respectively into a Ferrari lock-out of the podium's top two steps. Norris was third, 5.904 seconds back, having started from 3rd on the grid. Oscar Piastri gave McLaren a double top-four finish in fourth, 35.770 seconds adrift of the winner, rising from 5th on the grid.

Sergio Pérez was the best of Red Bull in 5th, more than 56 seconds behind Sainz — a sobering return for the reigning constructors' champions. Max Verstappen did not feature in the top 10.

Lance Stroll brought Aston Martin home in 6th from 9th on the grid, Yuki Tsunoda was 7th from 8th, and Alonso rounded out the top eight despite the late incident. Nico Hülkenberg delivered Haas an outstanding result in 9th, having started from 16th on the grid. Team-mate Kevin Magnussen completed the points in 10th, albeit a lap down, giving Haas a rare double points finish.

Leclerc set the fastest lap of the race — a 1:19.813 on lap 56 — with Norris second quickest at 1:19.915 on lap 49.

Championship implications

The standings after three rounds tell a story of sudden competitive compression. Verstappen leads on 51 points despite a fruitless Australian weekend — his two wins from the season's opening two races preserved his advantage. Leclerc is second on 47, Pérez third on 46, and Sainz fourth on 40 — all four separated by just 11 points.

Red Bull head the constructors' standings on 97 points, with Ferrari's combined haul of 87 from Leclerc and Sainz placing the Scuderia close behind after three rounds. McLaren's Oscar Piastri sits fifth on 28 and Norris sixth on 27 — both closing on the leading group after collecting 27 points between them in Melbourne.

Race result

Pos	Driver	Team	Time/Status	Pts
1	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1:20:26.843	25
2	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+2.366	19
3	Lando Norris	McLaren	+5.904	15
4	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+35.770	12
5	Sergio Pérez	Red Bull	+56.309	10
6	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1:33.222	8
7	Yuki Tsunoda	RB F1 Team	+1:35.601	6
8	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+1:40.992	4
9	Nico Hülkenberg	Haas F1 Team	+1:44.553	2
10	Kevin Magnussen	Haas F1 Team	+4.081	1