Charles Leclerc dominated the Australian Grand Prix to take his second victory of the season after Max Verstappen retired from second place with a technical problem.
Leclerc led from the start and pulled away from Verstappen despite multiple Safety Car interventions. Verstappen was told to stop his car in the final third of the race due to a mechanical problem, allowing Leclerc and Ferrari to take a comfortable victory.
Sergio Perez took second place, with George Russell claiming his first podium for Mercedes in third.
As the lights went out at Albert Park for the first time in over three years, Leclerc successfully held the lead from Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton jumped both Lando Norris and Sergio Perez to take third by the first corner.
After a poor start from ninth on the grid, Carlos Sainz Jnr fell down to 14th by the end of the first lap. As Sainz tried to pass Mick Schumacher around the outside of the fast turn nine-10 chicane, Sainz ran wide and onto the grass, spinning back…