The third round of the 2022 Formula 1 season was a real litmus test for the drivers who wanted to stay in the fight for the world title and those who wanted to join the battle for the top positions.
Charles Leclerc proved to be the clear candidate to take the crown of the current course after giving a whole driving lesson in the return of the Australian Grand Prix to the calendar, and distances himself in the general classification after the abandonment of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz .
Enjoy the best postcards that the return of the Melbourne circuit to the highest category of motorsport has given us in Sunday’s race.
Gallery: F1 Australian GP 2022 race footage
Foto de: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Foto de: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Foto de: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Foto de: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Foto de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo By: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
The Grand Circus single-seaters began respecting each other in the early stages of the test, but when the positions were stabilizing, a safety car caused by Carlos Sainz’s spin shook up the development of the race.
At the restart, the leaders, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, wanted to break away from Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, who was holding Sergio Pérez and his partner, George Russell. From behind, movements followed one another, and some were so extreme that they caused another period of safety car, when Sebastian Vettel went against the wall on lap 23.
Here, many took the opportunity to change the tires, such as the case of the young British driver of the Brackley team, who snatched the last place on the podium from the seven-time champion with the abandonment of Max Verstappen on lap 39.
The party was somewhat bittersweet in Maranello, as they joyfully celebrated the triumph of the current world leader, who has 34 points ahead of second-placed George Russell, but ended up disappointed with the withdrawal of his teammate, Carlos Sainz, who is third in the general table, 38 points from the head.
