Sainz with bad luck in Melbourne: 'He was finally faster than Leclerc'

Where Leclerc managed to extend his lead in the championship, things went completely wrong on the Spanish side of the garage. An electronics problem prevented him from setting his fastest lap in Q3, forcing him to start from P9.

Problem after problem in Melbourne

In the race, he took the gamble to start on the hardest tyre, but even before the red lights came on, the race was almost over for Sainz. His car wouldn't start again and so a new steering wheel had to be fitted at the last minute. The settings on that steering wheel were not as planned before the start, so he fell way back on the opening lap.

After a few laps it was finally all over, after he lost control in the chicane of turns nine and ten. F1 journalist Mark Hughes feels for Sainz, as he explains at Formula1.com. "He came into this weekend having been perturbed by his missing pace to Leclerc in Bahrain and, to a lesser extent, Jeddah."

Sainz faster than Leclerc?

However, after Saudi Arabia, Leclerc's teammate was positive that he has learned a lot about his Ferrari in the first two races. Hughes notes that Sainz was also very good on the road in Melbourne. "In the practices of both Friday and Saturday morning he was in terrific form and run for run looked every bit as fast as Leclerc for the first time this season."

So despite the retirement, Sainz also has positive things to look back on.