Norris said he was gathering pace and would’ve overtaken teammate Piastri regardless of McLaren’s instruction.
“You don’t want to delay the process of that happening, and the longer I spent behind him the worse it was making my chance of taking Charles [Leclerc] and trying to be ahead of Charles. I don’t think the result changed at all,” he said.
“He made my life easier, and I think helped us as a team, which I thank him for a lot, and we have a lot of respect for one another in these kind of situations. I don’t think the result changed at all, but for any driver who’s racing in front of their home fans, you want to be on the podium.”
The race finished moments after under safety car conditions when Brit George Russell crashed into the tyre barriers on turn six of the final lap while challenging Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso for sixth place.
Stranded in the middle of the track, with his Mercedes on its side and cars approaching at speeds of more than 210 km/h, Russell called for a red flag on his radio 12 times.
But the virtual safety car was not deployed until more than 10 seconds after his car stopped.
“I’m in the middle! Red! F—ing hell,” the British driver said.
“Why so long?” Russell asked when team principal Toto Wolff checked in on his condition. “[It’s] too long. I’m OK, I’m in the middle of the track, the car’s upside down.”
The incident between Russell and Alonso was reviewed by stewards after the race, with the Spaniard given a 20-second penalty for “dangerous driving” when it was found he deliberately slowed down early before the corner.
Verstappen’s exit on the fourth lap opened the door for Sainz and Leclerc to deliver a triumphant day for the Ferrari team which has a huge following in Melbourne.
“It wasn’t easy, but it was good that I was more or less on my own,” Sainz said.
“Life is a rollercoaster eh? Life is incredible sometimes,” he said over the team radio immediately after his win.
Asked about his recovery from the surgery the F1 driver joked: “I’d recommend drivers to take it out.”
The race opened up when Verstappen, the reigning champion – starting in pole and chasing a 10th straight GP win – was forced out in the fourth lap after his car caught fire.
The dramatic scenes witnessed by a record Sunday crowd of 132,106, according to the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, intensified 13 laps later when Russell’s Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton suffered an engine failure in his vehicle, forcing the two-time winner out of the race.
Verstappen finished the past 43 consecutive races, a streak 28 races longer than any other driver on the grid. The last time he was forced to retire was the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, adding to his streak of misfortune in Melbourne.
The Dutchman said he knew within the first lap something had gone wrong with his car, which caught fire in the fourth lap, forcing his retirement.
“My right rear brake basically stuck on from when the lights went on, so the temperature just kept increasing to the point it caught fire,” he told reporters in the paddock.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz celebrates his win in the Australian Grand Prix.Credit: AP
The Red Bull driver – who has led the championship for a record 41 successive races, winning 19 times last year, also a record – said mechanics were yet to determine the cause of the issue.
“Of course I’m disappointed with not being able to finish the race because I think we would’ve have a good shot at winning because the balance felt quite nice … I felt confident and a good improvement compared to … what we did in practice, but some things you can’t control.”
“I would like to win. We had a lot of good races, and good reliability. I knew the day would come where you would have a retirement and unfortunately that day is today.”
Leclerc, who won for Ferrari in 2022, said he was not worried about the future of his teammate Sainz, despite the decision from Ferrari to cut ties with the Spainard at the end of this season.
Questioned whether Sainz was underrated as a driver, Leclerc said: “I think everybody knows Carlos’ worth. In the paddock, he is one of the highest-rated drivers … he’s been extremely strong every time he’s been in a Formula One car,” the Ferrari driver said.
“That’s why I’ve said many times that I’m not too worried about his future because I’m sure that many team principals are – he doesn’t say [whether they’re in discussions about signing the F1 driver] – but I’m sure they’re speaking with him.”
Loading
Leclerc paused to laugh, looking over at Sainz sitting beside him, before adding: “I’m sure he will have many opportunities, and he’ll just have to make the best choice for his career.”
It was a rough day for Mercedes, with Hamilton describing this year as the “worst season start I’ve ever had”.
“It’s tough on the spirit for everyone on the team when so much has gone on through the winter for everybody,” he said.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
Also Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celebrity News
