Leclerc dominated the race, apart from a sketchy moment after making a poor restart from a safety car period when Verstappen almost got alongside him.
Verstappen was on course for second place when his car failed with 18 laps to go. The second Red Bull of Sergio Perez finished second, ahead of Mercedes pair George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
2022 Australian Grand Prix race results
Cla | Driver | Chassis | Laps | Gap | Interval |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 58 | ||
2 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 58 | 20.524 | 20.524 |
3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 58 | 25.593 | 5.069 |
4 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 58 | 28.543 | 2.950 |
5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 58 | 53.303 | 24.760 |
6 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 58 | 53.737 | 0.434 |
7 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 58 | 1'01.683 | 7.946 |
8 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 58 | 1'08.439 | 6.756 |
9 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 58 | 1'16.221 | 7.782 |
10 | Alex Albon | Williams | 58 | 1'19.382 | 3.161 |
11 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 58 | 1'21.695 | 2.313 |
12 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 58 | 1'28.598 | 6.903 |
13 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | 57 | ||
14 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 57 | ||
15 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 57 | ||
16 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | 57 | ||
17 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | 57 | ||
Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 38 | |||
Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 22 | |||
Carlos Sainz Jr | Ferrari | 1 | |||
View full results |
How the Australian Grand Prix unfolded
Leclerc held his pole advantage on the run to Turn 1, leading ahead of Verstappen, a fast-starting Hamilton, Perez (who got boxed-in on the outside of Turn 1), Russell and Lando Norris, whose McLaren dropped back from fourth at the start.
The second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz Jr. started on the hard tyre and struggled badly off the start line, dropping to 14th on the opening lap. He then spun and beached the car at Turn 10 on the second tour after a move on Kevin Magnussen's Haas, bringing out the safety car.
After the restart, Perez passed Hamilton for third position using DRS on the approach to Turn 3 on lap 10.
Verstappen complained of tyre issues as early as lap 12, as Leclerc pulled out his lead to over 4s. Verstappen also encountered some sensor issues with his car and had dropped over 8s behind by lap 19 when he pitted for hard tyres.
As Verstappen rejoined, Fernando Alonso’s Alpine – which started on hards – passed Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri for eighth at Turn 3. Perez was now struggling for grip, and had Hamilton all over him, the Mexican pitting on lap 21.
Leclerc pitted on lap 22 and was followed in by Hamilton, as the medium starters all switched to hards. Hamilton overcut Perez, but the Red Bull driver soon repassed him around the outside on the approach to Turn 9.
A second safety car was required for Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin stopping on track after he spun into the wall exiting Turn 4, with Russell taking advantage to make his pitstop under yellow and vault up to third. He was followed by Alonso, who was yet to stop, Perez and Hamilton.
Leclerc made a poor restart and Verstappen attacked him hard, but Ferrari’s championship leader just clung on to his lead and then pulled away once more. Perez passed Alonso for fourth on lap 30 and Hamilton did likewise a lap later.
Perez overtook Russell for third at Turn 11 on lap 37, which became second two tours later when Verstappen was told to stop his car due to a technical failure. As marshals dealt with his car, a virtual safety car was called – with Alonso and Magnussen both pitting from the top 10.
Leclerc now held a 12s lead over Perez, ahead of Russell and Hamilton, Norris and Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren). The Ferrari man busied himself with ensuring fastest lap before scoring his second victory of the season, which extended his championship lead.
Perez suffered a late grassy off on his way to the runner-up spot and finished over 20s behind.
2022 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix fastest laps
Cla | Driver | Chassis | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 58 | 1'20.260 | 236.740 | ||
2 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | 57 | 1'20.846 | 0.586 | 0.586 | 235.024 |
3 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 58 | 1'21.094 | 0.834 | 0.248 | 234.305 |
4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 53 | 1'21.495 | 1.235 | 0.401 | 233.152 |
5 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 54 | 1'21.651 | 1.391 | 0.156 | 232.707 |
6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 37 | 1'21.677 | 1.417 | 0.026 | 232.633 |
7 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 51 | 1'21.886 | 1.626 | 0.209 | 232.039 |
8 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 55 | 1'22.248 | 1.988 | 0.362 | 231.018 |
9 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 54 | 1'22.451 | 2.191 | 0.203 | 230.449 |
10 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 58 | 1'22.469 | 2.209 | 0.018 | 230.399 |
11 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 55 | 1'22.541 | 2.281 | 0.072 | 230.198 |
12 | Alex Albon | Williams | 54 | 1'22.589 | 2.329 | 0.048 | 230.064 |
13 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 52 | 1'22.731 | 2.471 | 0.142 | 229.669 |
14 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | 55 | 1'23.006 | 2.746 | 0.275 | 228.908 |
15 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 44 | 1'23.071 | 2.811 | 0.065 | 228.729 |
16 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 56 | 1'23.342 | 3.082 | 0.271 | 227.985 |
17 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 48 | 1'23.592 | 3.332 | 0.250 | 227.304 |
18 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | 49 | 1'23.882 | 3.622 | 0.290 | 226.518 |
19 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 17 | 1'25.189 | 4.929 | 1.307 | 223.042 |
View full results |
2022 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix pitstops
Cla | Driver | Chassis | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | M | 22 | H | 36 | ||||
2 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | M | 20 | H | 38 | ||||
3 | George Russell | Mercedes | M | 23 | H | 35 | ||||
4 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | M | 22 | H | 36 | ||||
5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | M | 20 | H | 38 | ||||
6 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | M | 21 | H | 37 | ||||
7 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | M | 17 | H | 41 | ||||
8 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | M | 22 | H | 36 | ||||
9 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | M | 21 | H | 37 | ||||
10 | Alex Albon | Williams | H | 57 | S | 1 | ||||
11 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | M | 21 | H | 37 | ||||
12 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | H | 4 | M | 3 | H | 19 | H | 39 |
13 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | M | 16 | H | 43 | ||||
14 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | H | 39 | M | 20 | ||||
15 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | M | 18 | H | 39 | ||||
16 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | M | 13 | H | 11 | H | 34 | ||
17 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | H | 39 | M | 14 | M | 4 | ||
Max Verstappen | Red Bull | M | 18 | H | 20 | |||||
Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | H | 23 | |||||||
Carlos Sainz Jr | Ferrari | H | 1 | |||||||
View full results |