Charles Leclerc extended his championship lead by winning the Australian Grand Prix and Max Verstappen retired for the second time in three races on Sunday.
Ferrari driver Leclerc led from start to finish at Albert Park to secure his second victory of the season, with Sergio Perez finishing second and George Russell third.
World champion Verstappen pulled over on lap 39 of 58, while Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz – who started the day second in the driver standings – spun off early in the race after starting back in ninth spot.
Leclerc got off to a good start and Lewis Hamilton moved up from fifth to third behind world champion Verstappen.
The safety car was deployed when Sainz found himself in the gravel after losing control on lap three, with Leclerc extending his advantage as Perez used the DRS to overtake Hamilton.
Verstappen pitted for hard tyres on lap 19 and the safety car was out again when Sebastian Vettel retired, giving Russell the opportunity to pit and remain in third place.
Leclerc fended off Verstappen when the race restarted and that was as close as the Dutchman came to taking the lead before he pulled over due to another issue with his Red Bull.
Monegasque Leclerc was untroubled, easing to a second win in three races and put the icing on the cake by clocking the fastest lap.
Leclerc finished over 20 seconds ahead of Perez, with Russell securing a podium spot and Hamilton crossing the line in fourth spot.
Leclerc could not have wished for a better weekend as he converted his pole into a victory and nipped in with the quickest lap to secure maximum points.
The 24-year-old’s win was the Scuderia’s third in four races in Australia and extended his lead to 34 points ahead of Russell, who jumped into second spot with his second podium finish in Formula One.