Max Verstappen claims victory in dramatic Australian GP

Max Verstappen, a Dutch racing driver, claimed victory at the Australian Grand Prix, the third round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship.

Verstappen lost the lead to the Mercedes pair, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, in the initial corners after starting from the pole.

However, Verstappen regained the lead and passed Hamilton by using DRS in the ultra-fast section ahead of Turn 9 following a restart due to a crash by Alex Albon.

Despite a minor off, Verstappen was on his way to winning when the race was red-flagged twice due to crashes. The cars still running finished a final lap behind the safety car in the previous restart’s order.

Verstappen was followed by Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, and Sergio Perez in the top five positions.