Sainz wins Australian GP, Verstappen suffers DNF

No appendix, no problem for the Smooth Operator.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz claimed the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday in his return to the car, just two weeks after undergoing emergency surgery that forced him to miss the Saudi Arabian GP.

"Life sometimes is crazy," Sainz said after the race.

He joked: "I would recommend all the drivers to take their (appendix) out this winter"

It's the third win of Sainz's career, and first since the 2023 Singapore GP last September.

The race finished under a virtual safety car after Mercedes' George Russell suffered a crash on the penultimate lap.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished second, while McLaren's Lando Norris claimed third.

It's a second straight podium for Leclerc, who finished third in Saudi Arabia.

"First and second (for Ferrari) didn't happen since Bahrain 2022," Leclerc said.

Norris now holds the F1 record with 14 podium finishes without recording a win.

"It's nice to be back on the podium again," he said.

Max Verstappen's rear brake caught fire on Lap 4, forcing him to retire the car. The Red Bull driver won the first two races of the season and nine straight dating back to last year. It's his first retirement since the 2022 Australian GP.

It's also the first time Red Bull failed to win in the last 10 races.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton suffered engine failure on Lap 17, causing his first retirement of the season. It's the first time both Hamilton and Verstappen failed to finish a race since 2021 in Italy, when the two were involved in a crash.

Meanwhile, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was demoted from sixth to eighth after receiving a 20-second penalty and three penalty points for contributing to Russell's crash.