Three red flags, safety cars, a virtual safety car, multiple crashes, three different leaders, plenty of on-track passing... and Red Bull's Max Verstappen came out victorious at the Australian Grand Prix 2023 on Sunday.
The Dutchman, who was leading Lewis Hamilton at the time of the first red flag, was ultimately allowed to take a processional victory lap around Albert Park, cementing his second win of the season and securing Red Bull's third consecutive grand prix win.
The first stoppage occurred when Kevin Magnussen crashed his Haas into a wall, leaving debris on the track. Following a chaotic restart, Logan Sargeant rode into the back of Nyck de Vries' AlphaTauri, forcing both cars into the gravel at turn one.
The situation only worsened as Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon crashed into each other, scattering debris across the track and triggering the final red flag.
After lengthy discussions, stewards decided to end the race with one lap behind a safety car in the order of the previous start, minus the cars that had crashed out. This decision allowed Verstappen to claim his second win of the season, finishing ahead of Hamilton, with Fernando Alonso securing third place for Aston Martin.
"It took a while but a win is a win," Verstappen said over the team radio after his first victory at Albert Park and Red Bull's first since 2011.
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