Leclerc dominated the race, apart from a sketchy moment after making a poor restart from a safety car period when Verstappen almost got alongside him.
Verstappen was on course for second place when his car failed with 18 laps to go. The second Red Bull of Sergio Perez finished second, ahead of the Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
2022 Australian Grand Prix race results
How the Australian Grand Prix unfolded
Leclerc held his pole advantage on the run to Turn 1, leading ahead of Verstappen, a fast-starting Hamilton, Perez (who got boxed-in on the outside of Turn 1), Russell (Mercedes) and Lando Norris, whose McLaren got dive-bombed at the first corner.
The second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz started on the hard tyre and struggled badly off the start line, dropping to 14th on the opening lap. He then spun and beached the car at Turn 10 on the second tour, bringing out the safety car.
After the restart, Perez passed Hamilton for third position using DRS on the approach to…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Autosport.com – Formula 1 – Stories…