It appears that a mistake may have caused the sticking rear brake caliper on Max Verstappen’s Red Bull car. This issue led to his first mechanical retirement from a Formula 1 race since the same event two years ago. As a result, Carlos Sainz and Ferrari were able to secure victory at the Australian Grand Prix.
Even if the Red Bull had been reliable, there are indications that Sainz would have put up a fight. The graining of the tires on the smooth surface of Albert Park made the race challenging. Similar to the previous occurrence of graining in Las Vegas last year, the Ferrari performed exceptionally well.
In the previous race, Charles Leclerc was only defeated by Verstappen due to an untimely safety car. Additionally, the current Ferrari car is superior to the previous one. Despite facing health issues leading up to the weekend, Sainz showcased an impressive performance. He narrowly missed out on pole position and entered the race with confidence that Red Bull’s tire advantage wouldn’t necessarily dictate the outcome.
Both Red Bull and Ferrari struggled with tire graining during practice sessions. Although Red Bull made improvements by the end of qualifying, there was no evidence to suggest that they would have better tire control than Ferrari during the race.
The decision by Pirelli to use the softest tire compounds resulted in a two-stop strategy for the race. The smooth track surface and lack of grip caused increased graining on all three tire compounds, reducing their lifespan.
The Red Bull’s strength in the past three seasons has been its ability to manage thermal degradation better than other cars. However, this was not a thermal-limited race, but rather a wear-limited one. Verstappen’s ability to control graining was affected by being in dirty air, allowing Sainz to close the gap and eventually overtake him.
Verstappen’s retirement was caused by the sticking left-rear caliper, resulting in a mini explosion as the pressure built up. From that point on, Sainz had a relatively straightforward race, managing his tires and maintaining a good pace.
McLaren’s strategy to keep Norris out longer than Leclerc allowed Sainz to rejoin the race with a significant advantage. Ferrari instructed their drivers to hold their positions, as Sainz had better tire degradation and a comfortable lead.
Ferrari’s performance in this race suggests that they were on par with Red Bull. Sergio Perez’s fifth-place finish, instead of his usual second, supports this theory. Although Perez initially made progress, he lost pace after picking up debris that affected the car’s downforce.
McLaren had the speed to challenge Leclerc but struggled in the DRS zones. Despite their efforts, Sainz had already built a considerable lead by the second round of pit stops.
Leclerc faced tire problems during his second stint but managed to keep Norris behind him. He even set the fastest lap of the race before Russell’s accident brought out the Virtual Safety Car.
Alonso, without the DRS boost and slipstream from Perez, was caught by Russell. On the penultimate lap, Alonso made a surprising braking maneuver that caught Russell off guard, resulting in a crash and ending Mercedes’ disappointing weekend.
Hamilton, needing to pass slower cars, opted for the rarely-seen soft tire compound. Unfortunately, a power unit failure ended his race on lap 17.