In a glorious finish to the Australian Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz stole the spotlight, claiming his first victory of the season and breaking Red Bull’s dominant streak with Charles Leclerc close behind to make it a much sweeter Ferrari one-two finish. The race started with Max Verstappen leading from pole position, aiming for a record-equaling 10th consecutive win. However, Verstappen’s hopes were dashed early on due to technical troubles, allowing Sainz to seize the opportunity and overtake him for the lead. And Charles Leclerc had nothing but respect and praise for his teammate for getting the Scuderia back to the top step of the podium, which raises natural questions for team principal Frederic Vasseur, who supposedly sees the Monegasque as the number 1 driver in the team.

During the race, after Verstappen retired, Sainz maintained a solid lead throughout the race. He displayed calm and control as he dominated the race from the front, keeping Leclerc at bay. Sainz’s victory was particularly significant as he had been the only driver, besides Verstappen, to win any of the last 21 Formula 1 races.

During the post-race interview with Guenther Steiner, Charles Leclerc said, “It feels good mostly for the team of course, first and second didn’t happen since Bahrain 2022. Carlos has had an incredible weekend to come back from his surgery. He’s done an amazing race. In the first stint we had to protect from behind so had to stop earlier. As soon as we stopped at the first stop it was clear – but Carlos has done a better job all weekend and deserves the victory.”

Will the decision to sign Lewis Hamilton at the cost of Carlos Sainz come to haunt the Scuderia in the future?

Frederic Vasseur may come to regret letting go of Carlos Sainz

The decision by Ferrari to replace Sainz with Lewis Hamilton had already raised eyebrows in the Formula 1 community. It’s not uncommon for a team to part ways with their supposed number 2 driver. And the lack of a farewell in Ferrari’s announcement also spoke volumes about their valuation of Sainz. However, Sainz is proving that Ferrari may have made a big mistake by demonstrating his determination to succeed on the track.

While Ferrari may defend their decision to bring in Hamilton, Sainz’s exceptional performances are impossible to ignore. With each race, he continues to prove himself as one of the brightest talents on the grid, making a strong case for his place in Formula 1. Many had assumed that Sainz was playing second fiddle to his teammate Charles Leclerc since joining Ferrari, but his recent performances have proven otherwise.

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Even before his win in Melbourne, Sainz had been proving his skills on the track. He was the most recent non-Red Bull driver to win a race before Melbourne, and now, he’s the only non-Red Bull driver to win in the last 16 months.

What do you think will be going through the mind of Frederic Vasseur right about now? Could he already be starting to doubt his decision to let go of Carlos Sainz?

Charles Leclerc Aims to Avoid Being “Too Aggressive” With Carlos Sainz for Ferrari’s Greater Good