After qualifying on the front row alongside Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz said that in order to beat him, you have to give your 100 percent. And that’s exactly what the Ferrari driver did in the opening two laps of the race by overtaking the reigning world champion with the help of the DRS. However, as soon as Sainz overtook him, Verstappen’s Red Bull started giving out smoke and had to retire on the 4th lap of the race. The Dutchman had taken a precautionary engine change on Saturday, but it turns out that there might have been some issue with his new Power Unit.

The disappointment of retiring from the race was made worse by the significance of the event. Verstappen’s early exit marked his first Did Not Finish (DNF) since the 2022 season, effectively ending his chance to match his own record of ten consecutive Grand Prix victories.

On the other hand, Carlos Sainz looked comfortable holding the lead for the entirety of the race and fans couldn’t have asked for a better race for the Spaniard, considering that he had surgery just a couple of weeks ago and he admitted to feeling uncomfortable in the car. In awe of his performance in the Australian Grand Prix, fans took to social media to show their appreciation for his stellar drive.

One fan tweeted, “Sainz is driving like a man with no appendix and no job, he has my respect.”

Another fan echoed the sentiment saying the Spaniard drove like a man who never should have lost his job in the first place.

Another suggested that he is driving like a man who has nothing to lose.

One fan mentioned that he is putting in the kind of performance that will surely help him get a drive for 2025.

Another mentioned how the smooth operator lived up to his name and executed a smooth race.

What was the issue that ended Max Verstappen’s race?

The Red Bull of Max Verstappen encountered a mechanical failure on lap 4 of the race, leading to a fire that erupted at the back. It was a disappointing turn of events for Verstappen, who was aiming for his third consecutive victory in the season. Forced to pit, Verstappen ultimately had to retire from the race due to a mechanical issue, marking the end of his remarkable 43-race finishing streak. Interestingly, his last retirement due to a mechanical failure also occurred in Australia back in 2022.

Verstappen had been grappling with mechanical problems in his Red Bull throughout the weekend at Albert Park. He even radioed his team about the car feeling loose before Sainz’s overtake maneuver. Despite his efforts to return to the pits, it became evident that he could not continue racing due to the extent of the issue. Later on, Red Bull confirmed that a rear brake issue was responsible for Verstappen’s retirement and initiated an analysis of the incident.

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Speaking about the incident, Verstappen revealed that the problem with the right rear brake occurred right at the start of the race. He explained, “We could see in the data that, as soon as the lights went off, the right rear brake just stuck on.“ This caused the temperature to rise and made it feel like he was “driving with a handbrake on.“

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What are your thoughts on Sainz’s victory in the Australian Grand Prix?