George Russell was involved in a terrifying crash on the final lap of the Australian Grand Prix, with the Mercedes ace making a critical mistake while battling Fernando Alonso. Carlos Sainz took the chequered flag in Melbourne to complete a Ferrari one-two after Max Verstappen was forced to retire early on with smoke billowing from his Red Bull car.
Just moments before the end of the race, Russell crashed out after losing the rear end while chasing Alonso in the battle for sixth place. Replays showed the Mercedes driver coming up behind his Spanish rival before spinning out and smashing into the barriers at high speed.
Russell quickly confirmed that he was okay before he was taken back to the pit lane, with the race finishing under virtual safety car conditions. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIA after the chequered flag with both drivers set to meet the stewards later on.
It wrapped up a terrible weekend for Mercedes, who failed to earn a single point in Australia with Lewis Hamilton also retiring due to a mechanical issue. The seven-time champion was powerless to prevent his car from grinding to a halt at the edge of the circuit, leaving Mercedes empty-handed at the end of an eventful race.
Sainz ended up claiming his first victory of the season, with the Spaniard leading Charles Leclerc across the line to mark a perfect result for Ferrari. Lando Norris came home in third to snatch the final podium spot ahead of Oscar Piastri, who was ordered to let his McLaren team-mate past earlier in the day.
Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the race, Sainz hailed Ferrari for giving him the opportunity to win thanks to their impressive pace and faultless strategy. He was driving just two weeks after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix, which saw him replaced by Oliver Bearman in Saudi Arabia a fortnight ago.
“It was a really good race,” said Sainz. “I felt really good out there. Of course a bit stiff and especially physically it wasn’t the easiest but I was lucky I was more or less on my own and I could manage my pace, my tyres, manage everything, and it wasn’t the toughest race of all.
“I’m very happy, very proud of the team and happy to be in a one-two with Charles here. It shows that hard work pays off and life sometimes is crazy. What happened at the beginning of the year, then the podium in Bahrain, then the appendix, the comeback, the win, it’s a rollercoaster but I loved it and I’m extremely happy.”
