Max Verstappen wins delayed Australian GP after three red flags

Max Verstappen won a chaotic and controversial Australian Grand Prix that finished under a safety car after a crash-affected restart. The Red Bull driver led Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso home to set the podium.

That was despite Alonso being tagged into a spin at a restart with two laps to go and dropping to the back. Under FIA regulations, the finishing positions were taken from the last restart, with the cars then having to complete a final lap behind the safety car.

To add to the controversy, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was given a five-second penalty for causing the decisive crash at the first corner by tagging Alonso’s car, dropping him from fourth to 12th and out of the points.

An emotional Sainz described that decision as “unacceptable”, adding: “They need to wait until after the race and discuss with me. (Agencies))