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Carlos Sainz's win and Fernando Alonso-George Russell's incident

Martin Brundle's Australian GP verdict
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A different winning team and driver in Melbourne brought a sense of relief, despite Red Bull's immense performance. Carlos Sainz, the hero of the day, showcased sensational race pace despite his recent surgery for appendicitis.
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Ferrari showed strong pace and tire management, potentially outperforming Red Bull. Max Verstappen secured pole position, but Red Bull had to make adjustments to protect the front tires.
Would Ferrari have beaten Red Bull anyway?
A rear-brake caliper issue caused the driver's first non-finish in 43 races, overheating a corner like leaving the handbrake on.
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The F1 2024 race schedule and how teams prepare their cars for the start and first few corners. Ferrari's performance and the uncertainty of whether they would have beaten Red Bull. McLaren's race pace and the potential performance of Verstappen.
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Verstappen initially angry at car failure but managing moods well now. Leclerc acknowledges Sainz faster and Ferrari team calmer in race strategies.
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Contrasting fortunes at McLaren and Mercedes
Norris expressed confidence in his race car and pace, but Ferrari's early pit stop for Leclerc on fresh tires secured critical track position, leading to a one-two finish for Ferrari.
Norris expresses disappointment with the final step on the podium, while McLaren aims to improve car performance to match Ferrari and Red Bull. Hamilton's Mercedes-Benz struggles with unpredictability and performance issues.
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Team boss Toto Wolff is struggling with the lack of progress and reliability issues with Hamilton's power unit, despite his elegant words to refocus for the next race or season.
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George Russell had a bizarre incident behind Fernando Alonso on the penultimate lap, narrowly avoiding a potentially serious accident. The 'virtual safety car' was deployed as the leaders were on the last lap.
How Alonso tried to 'wrong-foot' Russell
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Alonso's unexpected deceleration at turn six caused a racing incident, leading to a costly damage for Russell's team. The zone was covered by double-waved yellow flags, but the situation turned into a 'red flag' with the personnel and the Medical Car on site.
Fernando's defensive position is that changing racing line or sacrificing entry speed for a better exit is part of the art of motorsport. He believes the nature of the gravel trap run-off area caused Russell's crash, and a driver cannot be responsible for making every lap identical while managing other variables.
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Difficult times for Ricciardo and what happens next in F1 at Suzuka?
Difficult times for Ricciardo and paddock rumours swirling after a tough weekend in F1. Williams facing challenges without a spare chassis for the next race in Japan.
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Alpine team struggles for pace and direction, with concerns over lost experience. Pierre Gasly beats Saubers despite design issues. Red Bull's civil war may impact performance in upcoming races.