Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of Netherlands maintain his trophy after successful the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, Sunday, April 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Two-time defending champion Verstappen zoomed quickest to the chequered flag at the Melbourne circuit as he continued to say his dominance at the highest of the sphere. Seven-time winner Hamilton got here in second, adopted by Aston Martin’s Alonso
Max Verstappen held off a revived Lewis Hamilton to steer his Red Bull to a chaotic win at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday and tighten his grip on the world championship.
The world champion started from pole and regardless of being handed by Mercedes pair George Russell and Hamilton at the beginning, he stored his cool to win a race purple flagged thrice, with a number of crashes.
Hamilton got here dwelling second forward of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who made it three podiums from three this yr.
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“We had a really poor begin, lap one I used to be cautious as I had so much to lose,” said Dutchman Verstappen.
“After that, the pace of the car was quick. With these red flags, I don’t know, I don’t really understand. It was a bit of a mess but we had good pace and we won, so that’s important.”
It was a disastrous day for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, final yr’s winner, who spun out on the primary lap, whereas Russell’s automobile caught hearth on lap 19 and his race too was over.
The victory was Verstappen’s maiden win in Melbourne and Red Bull’s first in Australia since Sebastian Vettel’s 2011 triumph.
His teammate and winner in Saudi Arabia a fortnight in the past Sergio Perez sliced via the sphere to return fifth after qualifying final resulting from brake points.
The Red Bull triumph got here regardless of unbelievable late drama that noticed a purple flag come out when Verstappen had a cushty lead from Hamilton and Alonso with two laps left, that means they’d a bunched restart for an all-out assault to the end.
But it descended into chaos when Alonso was clipped by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz as they jostled for place and despatched right into a spin, which precipitated a stream on impact with a number of different vehicles coming to grief.
Sainz was given a five-second penalty, ultimately ending twelfth, and the race was stopped once more.
It resumed after a prolonged delay for single lap behind a security automobile — with no overtaking allowed  — within the order of the earlier begin with solely 12 vehicles left.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton was ecstatic at making the rostrum.
“I’m driving as greatest I can and dealing as laborious as I can however nonetheless, contemplating we’ve been down on efficiency and in straight tempo, for us to be up there preventing with Aston is wonderful,” he said.
On a fine, sunny day, Lance Stroll in the other Aston Martin was fourth ahead of Perez.
Lando Norris in a McLaren was sixth, Niko Hulkenberg in the Haas seventh and rookie Oscar Piastri, in the other McLaren, an encouraging eighth in only his third race and on his home circuit.
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