Red Bull’s champ wins chaotic Australian GP, but claims Mercedes’ Hamilton got too close and forced him to steer away to avoid contact; Aston Martin’s Alonso finishes third
Max Verstappen with his trophy. Pics/AFP
Max Verstappen was over the moon on Sunday at a maiden Grand Prix win in Australia, but claimed Lewis Hamilton failed to follow racing rules when passing him on the opening lap.
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The Dutch Red Bull star took the chequered flag after a drama-filled showdown ahead of Mercedes’ Hamilton for his second win of the year and first in Melbourne. He started from pole, but was passed by both George Russell and Hamilton as they jostled for position at the start. His superior Red Bull power eventually brought him home, but he had a dig at Hamilton nevertheless, complaining that the British seven-time world champion pushed him wide. “From my side, I just tried to avoid the contact, it’s quite clear on the rules what is allowed to do now on the outside, but clearly, it’s not followed,” he said.
Max Verstappen in his Red Bull car during the Australian GP at Albert Park, Melbourne, on Sunday
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso finished in third spot.
Hamilton, who finished second for his best result of the year, denied any wrongdoing. “I thought it was pretty decent. He braked early and I braked late. I was fully up to his side and we both left space for each other,” he said.
Despite the early close call, Verstappen was able to regain the lead and once he did, he never looked threatened, despite the race being red flagged three times, including with two laps to go. “Very happy to get the win, but the race towards the end was a bit of a mess with all the calls. It left a lot of drivers confused,” he said of the red-flag issues.
Also read: Max Verstappen bags first-ever pole in Australia as George Russell wins front row start
Verstappen’s straight line speed was again clearly better than his rivals in Melbourne. But improvements from Mercedes and the ever-present threat from third-place Fernando Alonso gave them reason to hope he can be caught.
The Dutchman though said it was too early to tell: “The nature of the track made it all a bit closer. Also, the warm-up was quite tricky.”
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