Max Verstappen has suffered his first DNF in two years after falling prey to the same fate on the same Australian circuit in 2022. That gave hope to every team to score points, as per Marc Priestley. The former McLaren mechanic believes the one-off incident shows the Austrian team is not “invincible”.
Speaking on BBC’s F1: Chequered Flag podcast after the race, the Briton said, “Everyone suddenly saw, and even way down towards the back, people saw the opportunity of points happening. So, it’s opened up what made a great Sunday, a great race. Not just because Max Verstappen was out of it.”
“This was a great race anyway, and it was close racing. I think this [Verstappen’s DNF] shows there is a vulnerability to Red Bull Racing that we all thought there kind of wasn’t. We thought they were invincible. Well, they’re not.”, said Priestley.
The Albert Park circuit has 4 straights with as many DRS zones. That, at least theoretically, should have played to Red Bull’s strength, which is straight-line speed. However, it did not for one simple reason – the straights were not long enough for the RB20 to reach its full potential. Moreover, both drivers faced unlucky incidents.
While Max Verstappen saw his brakes catch fire, ultimately resulting in his DNF, Sergio Perez took damage to his car while overtaking Fernando Alonso. The Ferraris took full advantage of Red Bull’s handicap to make a perfect 1-2 finish. Fans would have witnessed some thrilling battles between Verstappen and Sainz had the Dutchman not retired.
That is because the chances of the defending champion disappearing into the distance on this circuit were slim. The Maranello outfit is not complaining, though. They have momentum in their hands. With that, also a big heist of points.
Carlos Sainz’s triumph over Max Verstappen sends a strong message
Until the Australian GP, Ferrari stamped its authority as the fastest behind Red Bull. However, the Italian giants tipped the odds in their favor on the Albert Park circuit against the Austrian rivals. Max Verstappen may have ground out a pole position before facing the forgettable fate in the race but there were areas where Carlos Sainz was superior to him.
The Spaniard was the only non-Red Bull driver to register a race win in 2023. He carried that momentum in 2024 to achieve an impressive podium finish in Bahrain and now the race win in Australia. This should play massively in his favor as he prepares to move out of the Ferrari camp in 2025.
His teammate, Charles Leclerc, who has retained his seat with an extension, remains ahead on points tally. Despite Sainz missing out on the race in Jeddah and not winning any points, the gap to Leclerc is slender. If the 29-year-old can maintain this golden run of form, he will cover the 7-point deficit in no time.
