(Motorsport) Max Verstappen extended his lead in the Drivers Standings with his maiden win at the Australian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of rival Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. The race saw three red flags and was a chaotic event with Alonso spinning on track at the restart with just two laps to go to drop back. Under FIA regulations, finishing positions have to be taken from the last restart with the cars having to complete the final lap behind a safety car.

One of the biggest controversies of the race was Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz receiving a five second penalty for causing the decisive crash at the first corner by tagging Alonso’s car, which resulted in him being dropped from fourth to 12th. After the race, an angry Sainz called the decision “unacceptable” and said “They need to wait until after the race and discuss with me. Clearly the penalty is not deserved. It is too severe.” Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly also had a race to forget, crashing into each at the second corner and retiring.

The race was similar to the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix of 2021 where officials made questionable decisions resulting in Verstappen overtaking Hamilton in the final lap. This time, two red flags were thrown to ensure that the Australian Grand Prix ended in racing conditions, resulting in a bizarre and confusing climax and a safety car guiding the teams onto the finishing line.

Speaking after the race Max Verstappen said “We had a very poor start, and lap one I was careful because I had a lot to lose and they had a lot to win. After that, the pace of the car was quick – you could see that straight away. We were always there, waiting for the DRS for the chance to pass. But with these red flags, I don’t know. The first one, maybe you can do it but the second one I don’t understand. So, it was a bit of a mess, but we survived everything and we won, which, of course, is the most important thing.”

Australian GP Race Result

1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
4) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
5) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
6) Lando Norris, McLaren
7) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
8) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
9) Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo
10) Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri

Also read: Max Verstappen finishes on pole position at Australian Grand Prix qualifying