Polesitter Verstappen reported a stuck brake from the start of the Melbourne race and after the issue made him lose the lead to Sainz on lap 2, the Dutchman's right rear brake finally gave up on lap 4, forcing him to retire.
But Ferrari's race performance and the way it handled front tyre graining, which had already looked promising in practice, has prompted Perez to say that Sainz would have beaten Verstappen the race anyway.
