Formula 1 Post -Race: Rolex Australian Grand Prix

The F1 circus arrived at Melbourne for the third race of the 2024 season, with reigning world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull entering with a commanding championship lead. However, Verstappen's race ended early with a DNF, allowing Ferrari's Carlos Sainz to claim victory and narrow the gap in the standings.

Sainz started 2nd on the grid and showed excellent performance ranking 1st in speed, consistency, and efficiency in passing. Sainz was untouchable in defense, rankings 1st in position defensibility and moved up to 4th in the championship with his victory.

Meanwhile, Verstappen's DNF sees his championship lead remain unchanged despite starting from pole. His Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez had a quiet race by his standards, starting 6th and finishing 5th. Perez gained no positions but ranked higher in predator passing skills, showing he still has the pace if not the outright speed of Verstappen.

An epic battle unfolded behind the top three of Sainz, Leclerc and Norris. Young gun Oscar Piastri in his sophomore season drove a stellar race for McLaren, starting 5th and finishing 4th. Alpine's Fernando Alonso also showed he still has plenty left in the tank in 8th, gaining 2 places with strategic racing.

The most impressive drive came from comeback kid Nico Hulkenberg in the Haas, charging from 16th to finish 9th. He made many aggressive overtakes with a volatility rank of 2 and gained the most positions of anyone with a net movement rank of 1. His teammate Kevin Magnussen struggled by comparison in 10th. 

This race leaves Ferrari and Red Bull fighting it out for the championships, while McLaren Mercedes and Aston Martin trail behind. With 21 rounds still left in the 2024 season, Sainz's victory will give him and Ferrari renewed hope of catching the dominant Verstappen.