Max Verstappen took his second win of the season and first in Melbourne at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, but not without controversy. The Dutch Red Bull driver claimed Lewis Hamilton had failed to follow racing rules when passing him on the opening lap.
Verstappen started from pole but was passed by both George Russell and Hamilton as they jostled for position at the start. Verstappen eventually overtook Hamilton, but complained 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.
Hamilton, who finished second for his best result of the year, denied he was in the wrong. “I thought it was pretty decent. He braked early and I braked late. I was fully up to his side and I think we both left space for each other,” he said. “I didn’t run him off the road, he didn’t turn in on me. We didn’t touch and that’s racing.”
Despite the early close call, Verstappen was able to regain the lead and once he did, he never looked threatened. The race was red-flagged three times, including with two laps to go, which left a lot of drivers confused. “Of course, I was very happy to get the win but I think the race towards the end was a bit of a mess with all the calls,” Verstappen said.
Verstappen’s straight line speed was clearly better than his rivals in Melbourne, but improvements from Hamilton’s Mercedes and the ever-present threat from third-place Fernando Alonso gave them reason to hope he can be caught. The Dutchman said it was too early to tell if they were closing the gap. “I think it was the nature of the track a bit, that all made it all a bit closer,” he said. “I think also the warm-up was quite tricky, some teams nailed it better than others, so difficult to say. I think we need to go to a few more tracks to have a full understanding.”
The Australian Grand Prix also saw a loud, engine-roaring road trip by Daniel Ricciardo through Australia. The McLaren driver was filmed taking a road trip in a vintage Porsche, blasting music and revving the engine through the streets of Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. Ricciardo, who finished fifth in the race, said he “wanted to celebrate the start of the season” in a unique way.
In conclusion, Max Verstappen won the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, but his victory was not without controversy. He claimed Lewis Hamilton had failed to follow racing rules when passing him on the opening lap, but Hamilton denied any wrongdoing. Verstappen’s straight line speed was clearly better than his rivals in Melbourne, but improvements from Hamilton’s Mercedes and the ever-present threat from third-place Fernando Alonso gave them reason to hope he can be caught. The race was also marked by a loud, engine-roaring road trip by Daniel Ricciardo through Australia.
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