Carlos Sainz seems to be in great form. The man who became the only non-Red Bull driver to dethrone Max Verstappen on pure pace and skill (Singapore 2023) was ousted by Scuderia Ferrari in favor of incoming Lewis Hamilton. And you know how they say that when you have nothing to lose, the fear seems to wash away? That is precisely what happened here. The Spanish driver is on an unspoken mission to make Frederic Vasseur regret his decision. And that mission reached a premature milestone when Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix. (Max Verstappen’s early retirement from the race did help a bit….wink wink.)

While the whole world has been jolted up to enjoy the sport during the Australian GP, and the teary-eyed fans rejoiced hearing something other than the Dutch national anthem, the Sainz victory is more than a break from Verstappen’s dominance. It might actually be good for the sport.

Why is Carlos Sainz’s victory good?

Right before the Liberty Media takeover of Formula 1, the sport was suffering from Lewis Hamilton’s dominance (which wasn’t even close to Max’s dominance in 2023). The result of this was a massive drop in viewership. A very expensive sport that thrives on sponsorship and advertisement money needs people to watch it. And Max’s continuous winning spree is not very exciting to watch.

With a race where none of the Red Bull drivers finished on the podium and Max didn’t take another win, fans have so much to talk about, that has even spilled outside F1. The internet hasn’t stopped buzzing ever since the race and the more the world talks about Formula 1, the more it escapes its image of a niche sport. I mean, it is the end goal, right? Otherwise, why would Netflix play a multi-million dollar gamble to bring in a new (read: American) audience to the sport?

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Carlos Sainz vs Daniel Ricciardo; Max Verstappen’s Ideal Teammate Picked by F1 Insider

But having said that, we should look at why Verstappen’s greatness leading to his dominance might be hurting F1.

How has Max Verstappen’s dominance hurt the sport?

Despite Verstappen’s dominance, there was a reportedly 20% TV audience drop in the German market. Former Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul told French media outlet Franceinfo how Verstappen’s dominance is not good for the sport and can hurt the sport eventually.

He explained why Max was so good in that car. He said, “There is no doubt that it’s Max Verstappen’s car—designed for him. He is pampered in this team. Very good drivers like Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon were also his teammates and also did not succeed in driving that car. He (Max) has psychological influence and is such a great car. But the ease with which he overtakes is because the other drivers don’t even fight him. They know they can’t race him. So rather than wearing out their tires to hold him back, they just let him pass.”

Further explaining why it would pose problems, he said, “It’s a championship that has remarkable commercial dynamics because it brings new things every year like Las Vegas,” he said. There are many other interests than first place in the drivers’ championship. If this situation were to drag on for too long, it would pose problems, but I would be surprised if the dominance we have seen this season continues into the next season. By the time of the next rule change in 2026, Red Bull will face more competition.”

After Shock Sacking, Oliver Bearman Forces Fred Vassuer & Co. To Admit Carlos Sainz’s Superiority

But will Max’s dominance end?

Will the results of the Australian Grand Prix have any long-term impacts on Max Verstappen’s dominance?

The answer to this is a straight no. Max Verstappen and Red Bull are very far ahead of the field and one bad race is not going to define the much obvious trajectory. The reason for Sainz’s victory is that drivers dared to win a race owing to Max’s DNF. And the Red Bull TP sent a clear message to the field.

After the Australian GP, Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner said, “A driver is always going to be frustrated when they get out of the car from a retirement. He’s been very gracious with the team. That DNF hurts everyone in the same way. It’s a matter of learning from it and understanding what caused it. Remarkable after three races he’s still leading the World Championship even with that DNF. A lot of lessons learned today.”

Do you think there will be another who can dethrone Max Verstappen?

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EssentiallySports.

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