2023 Australian Grand Prix - Race Review

It is safe to call the 2023 Australian Grand Prix one of the most chaotic races the sport has ever seen. There was plenty of action, several high-profile crashes, and a few red flags thrown in for good measure. Join us as we take a deep dive into this eventful evening at Albert Park, Melbourne.

Bad Luck For Leclerc

As the five red lights went out, Mercedes were onto a dream start as George Russell got past pole-sitter Max Verstappen for the lead of the race. He was followed by his 7-time F1 World Champion teammate Lewis Hamilton, giving us hints of a Mercedes 1-2 finish.

However, it was not so good news for Ferrari fans. Further back, Charles Leclerc was hit by the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, beaching him on the gravel trap. This was very reminiscent of what his teammate did exactly a year ago.

The stuck Leclerc brought out the yellow flags. Yet, this was not the moment that brought the cars to a standstill for the first time this evening.

Albon Goes For A Spin

Instead, the first red flags came out courtesy of Alex Albon. The Williams driver lost control and spun off, throwing gravel all across the circuit. The stewards ultimately red decided to red flag the race, putting a temporary stop to things until the track got cleared up.

Although George Russell took a gamble from the lead by pitting, this risky move was not of use as all cars got a free tire change under the red flag.

Verstappen Charges

After a somewhat confusing restart, Hamilton blasted off into the distance with both Verstappen and Alonso close behind. This lead was short-lived, as Verstappen re-took the lead with ease on lap 12.

The Alpine duo, especially Pierre Gasly, was on track for a great result as he found himself in the mix at the front of the pack. This effort was aided by George Russell, who broke down on the side of the road with flames shooting out of his exhaust.

A Second Red Flag and Chaos

The red flags were out once again when Kevin Magnussen hit the wall and lost his rear tire on lap 55. The ensuing restart gave us the most carnage of the season so far. Fernando Alonso was spun off by Carlos Sainz, who was handed a 5-second penalty for his troubles. Elsewhere, the Alpine duo took each other out, Logan Sargeant and Nyck DeVries collided, and Lance Stroll had a massive lockup.

The race was red-flagged once again, and it finally finished after a safety car restart in the previous order. As a result, Fernando Alonso got his podium back, and Max Verstappen secured another victory.

So, there you have it. Our final Grand Prix for a while, What did you think about this Australian Grand Prix? Let us know on our social media pages. Until F1 returns, be sure to go through all our previous content on this wonderful sport.

1	Max Verstappen	2:32:38.371	25
2	Lewis Hamilton	+0.179s	18
3	Fernando Alonso	+0.769s	15
4	Lance Stroll	+3.082s	12
5	Sergio Perez	+3.320s	11
6	Lando Norris	+3.701s	8
7	Nico Hulkenberg	+4.939s	6
8	Oscar Piastri	+5.382s	4
9	Zhou Guanyu	+5.713s	2
10	Yuki Tsunoda	+6.052s	1
11	Valtteri Bottas	+6.513s	0
12	Carlos Sainz	+6.594s	0
13	Pierre Gasly	DNF	0
14	Esteban Ocon	DNF	0
15	Nyck De Vries	DNF	0
16	Logan Sargeant	DNF	0
17	Kevin Magnussen	DNF	0
18	George Russell	DNF	0
19	Alexander Albon	DNF	0
20	Charles Leclerc	DNF	0