Australia GP: Ferrari rules as Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton Suffer Catastrophic Exits

• Carlos Sainz stormed to victory in beautiful fashion at the Australian Grand Prix
• The Ferrari driver underwent surgery a couple of weeks ago, missing the Saudi Arabia GP
• Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell did not finish the race

The Australian Grand Prix on March 24 was full of drama as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton suffered early exits.

Verstappen headed Down Under, looking to extend his dominant run after winning the opening two races of the season in Bahrain and Jeddah.

The defending champion started in pole position but was quickly displaced by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. His Red Bull car had a mechanical issue, emitting heavy smoke fumes in the second lap. He was called in for an emergency pit stop in the next lap before the decision was made to retire from the race.

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It was the first time the Dutchman had recorded a DNF in over two years.

"At the start of the race the right rear bake just stuck on. It was like driving with the handbrake on," Verstappen told Formula 1.

In the 17th lap, Hamilton's terrible campaign in Australia continued as his Mercedes car came to a grinding halt due to what has been termed a mechanical failure. The record joint champion had a woeful qualifying session and started ninth in the grid as he chased his first podium of the season.

The last time both Verstappen and Hamilton retired in the same race was in 2021 in Italy.

Carlos Sainz wins Australia GP

Verstappen's exit paved the way for Ferrari drivers to lead a 1-2 finish, with Carlos Sainz winning the race on his return. The out-of-contract driver at the end of the season was recently in the hospital for surgery.

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His teammate Charles Leclerc missed out on an opportunity to pass Verstappen on the driver's standings.

Drivers with the most podiums in Australia

Sports Brief compiled a list of the Formula 1 drivers with the most podium finishes at the Australian Grand Prix.

Leading the pack 'down under' is seven-time champion Hamilton, followed by the legendary Michael Schumacher.