Charles Leclerc now sits with 71 points in the driver’s championship with Mercedes’ latest George Russell in second position, behind by 34 points.
As cliche as it may sound, the F in Ferrari is for ‘fired up’ as Charles Leclerc delivered an emphatic performance clinching his second win of the season. The 24-year-old racer finished the race 20.524 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. From the stands of Mercedes-Benz, we have George Russell finishing up third to mark his first podium ahead of teammate and seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton. In Formula 1, it is said that the first driver you have to beat is none other than your own teammate and it looks like we have quite a few team rivalries brewing in this season. At his home circuit, Daniel Ricciardo finished sixth on the grid behind teammate Lando Norris who placed fifth. P10 was secured by Alex Albon who claimed the first points for Willians for the season. Not to forget, he raced 57 laps on the same set of tyres. It makes you wonder if he was the driver of the day!
The 2022 Formula 1 calendar might be just three races old but the Ferrari’s are pacing swiftly ahead while Mercedes struggles with speed and the Red Bulls battle DNF inconsistencies in every race. Complemented by a reliable race car under his grip, Leclerc is emerging as the man to beat this season. What’s going to be more interesting, is the next race on April 24 that takes place in front of their home fans at Imola.
After Max Verstappen’s victory in Jeddah, his car broke down again in Melbourne when it seemed that he would place second on the grid. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz spun out in the second lap from the 14th position and on the 23rd lap four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel lost control on the Turn 5 exit and crashed his car’s front wing into the wall.Â
2022 Formula 1 Australian GP results (Top 10)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Sergio Perez (Red Bull) + 20.524s
- George Russell (Mercedes AMG Petronas) +25.593s
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes AMG Petronas) +28.543s
- Lando Norris (McLaren) +53.303s
- Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) +53.737s
- Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +61.683
- Valterri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) +68.439
- Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri) +76.221
- Alex Albon (Williams) +79.382
