After nine straight F1 races ended with Max Verstappen on top of the podium, Carlos Sainz finally broke through for Ferrari in the 2024 Grand Prix of Australia. Verstappen ended 2023 with seven straight wins and began 2024 with wins in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. But engine problems in Melbourne led to him exiting the race on lap four. The last time someone other than Verstappen won was Singapore in 2023. The winner of that race was Carlos Sainz.

The 2024 season has been an up-and-down year for Sainz. During the offseason, Ferrari announced Lewis Hamilton will replace Sainz in the ride in 2025. Sainz responded with a third place finish in the season opener in Bahrain, joining the two Red Bull drivers on the podium. One week later, he missed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. With an extra week to recover between Saudi Arabia and Australia, Sainz made the most of it, taking the top spot on the podium.

Ferrari found its groove in Australia as Sainz’s teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished second giving Ferrari the 1-2 finish. McLaren took the next two spots as Lando Norris joined the Ferrari drivers on the podium, and Oscar Piastri finished fourth. Sergio Perez managed to secure a top five finish for Red Bull after dominating the first two races with 1-2 finishes with Verstappen.

2024 Grand Prix of Australia Top 10 Finishers

1. Carlos Sainz
2. Charles Leclerc
3. Lando Norris
4. Oscar Piastri
5. Sergio Perez
6. Lance Stroll
7. Yuki Tsunoda
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Nico Hulkenberg
10. Kevin Magnussen

F1 Points Standings Top 10

1. Max Verstappen
2. Charles Leclerc
3. Sergio Perez
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Oscar Piastri
6. Lando Norris
7. George Russell
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Lance Stroll
10. Lewis Hamilton

F2 Australia

Isack Hadjar rebounded from disappointment in the F2 Sprint Race in Australia to win the F2 Feature Race. Hadjar finished first in the Sprint Race, but a post race penalty led to officials taking away the win. But Hadjar would not be denied in the Feature Race, battling his way up from eighth place to take his second F2 win.

F2 Feature Race Top 5

1. Isack Hadjar
2. Paul Aron
3. Zane Maloney
4. Andrea Antonelli
5. Ritomo Miyata

F2 Points Standings Top 5

1. Zane Maloney
2. Paul Aron
3. Dennis Hauger
4. Isack Hadjar
5. Kush Maini

F3 Feature Race

The drivers of F3 also took to the track in Australia this weekend. Dino Beganovic scored his first career victory in the series in Melbourne. Beganovic started third and took his time before passing the two cars in front of him for the lead, holding on for the win.

F3 Feature Race Top 5

1. Dino Beganovic
2. Leonardo Fornaroli
3. Gabriele Minì
4. Luke Browning
5. Charlie Wurz

F3 Points Standings Top 5

1. Luke Browning
2. Leonardo Fornaroli
3. Gabriele Minì
4. Dino Beganovic
5. Arvid Lindblad

Next Up

The Formula 1 drivers will take a week off before returning to the track for the Grand Prix of Japan the first weekend of April. Meanwhile, the drivers of F2 and F3 will take two months off. Their next race will be the weekend of May 16-18 in Imola, Italy.

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