Scuderia Ferrari put together a perfect weekend in Australia with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc securing the team’s 86th one-two finish, its 244th victory. It picked up the maximum 44 points thanks to the Monegasque driver also delivering the additional point for the race fastest lap. It means that, for a 59th season, the team has at least one win to its name and is now just four points behind the championship leader, while Charles is the same distance behind Max Verstappen in the Drivers'. Carlos is 11 points down, having missed one race. Sainz will no doubt remember his third Formula 1 win, all picked up with Ferrari and on the Scuderia’s all-time winners list it puts him equal with four world champions, Juan Manuel Fangio, Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill and Jody Scheckter. Unbelievably, the Spaniard seemed to shake off any effects of his appendectomy 16 days ago and immediately put Verstappen under pressure. On lap 2, when the Dutchman was in difficulty, Carlos made the most of it to get ahead and then mustered all his physical and mental strength to keep focussed, running at an incredibly consistent pace. He also was one of the best when it came to managing his tyres. He did three stints, starting on the Medium before pitting on laps 16 and 41 to take on Hards both times. He pitted after his closest pursuers and always had the situation under control, only easing off when he was in the third sector on the penultimate lap, when the race was neutralised after a spectacular crash for George Russell, from which he emerged unscathed. As the icing on the cake, Carlos won the fan vote for “Driver of the Day.” Charles also produced a very strong drive, to take a well-deserved second place, which is very important in terms of the championship. Having started fourth, he pulled off a perfect undercut on lap 9 to get ahead of Lando Norris. Then in the final stint, he finished the job, fending off the Englishman who was on tyres that were six laps newer than his own. In the end, he also ensured he picked up another valuable point by setting the fastest race lap. After the longest journey of the year, it’s time for the World Championship to head for Asia and the Japanese Grand Prix in two weeks’ time at the spectacular Suzuka circuit.
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