The 5 astonishing figures of the Australian Grand Prix

62 points entries

It was 62 races that Mercedes systematically scored points. Last weekend, in Australia, this series ended due to the double retirement of the German single-seaters. In the 17th round, Lewis Hamilton abandons following a mechanical problem. On the last lap, George Russell made a mistake in turn 6 and had to retire. We have to go back to the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix to see either Mercedes in the points. And the last time the two silver arrows both had to retire was in Austria, in 2018…

Sainz, Russell's black cat

In his career, Carlos Sainz Jr has won three Grand Prix: Silverstone 2022, Singapore 2023 and Australia 2024. What do these three races have in common, if not the winner? The abandonments of George Russell. On the pilot's three victories Ferrari, the Briton retired three times, including twice on the last lap. Ouch…

AWESOME RUSSELL CRASH 😱

George Russell loses the back of his car in the last lap 🤯
The pilot is fine!#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/8olhO4fgNO

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) March 24, 2024

43 races without abandonment

Max Verstappen had to retire in the first laps of the race in Australia due to a brake problem. To find your last abandonment, you have to go back two years earlier, in 2022… also to Australia. Note that the three-time world champion was close to the record for the number of consecutive races without retirement. Lewis Hamilton is the holder of this achievement: he has seen the checkered flag 48 times consecutively.

From appendicitis to the top of the podium

Carlos Sainz did not drive in Jeddah and for good reason, he had to have appendicitis surgery. Two weeks after his operation, the Spaniard won the Australian Grand Prix. He is the first driver to win a race after returning from a medical absence since Gerhard Berger at the German Grand Prix in 1997. No time for convalescence so…

Affected by sinusitis, Gerhard Berger missed three Grand Prix in 1997. When he returned to Germany, he won the GP. ©DR

14 podiums, 0 victories

In Australia, Lando Norris became the driver with the most podiums (14) without ever having won a race. He thus overtakes Nick Heidfeld who stopped at 13 podiums. A record, certainly, but not necessarily a glorious record for the pilot McLaren who is chasing his first victory in several years. We remember the 2021 Russian Grand Prix which went to the British due to an error in the choice of tires at the very end of the race.

ALSO READ > Operated in Jeddah, winner in Melbourne: Carlos Sainz, an express convalescence