Failure to Finish the Australian GP, Max Verstappen Still Tops the 2024 F1 Standings

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen failed to finish the Formula 1 (F1) race held at the Albert Park Circuit, Australia, on Sunday, March 24, 2023.

Verstappen's performance was suboptimal on the second lap due to car trouble, forcing him to end the race prematurely. This marks his first DNF in the last two years.

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz Jr. secured his first podium finish after completing the 58-lap race in 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 26.843 seconds.

This win is Sainz's first since the Singapore GP last year. The Ferrari driver also broke Verstappen's streak of nine consecutive wins, starting from the 2023 Japanese GP.

His teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished as runner-up, just 2.366 seconds behind Sainz.

Max Verstappen still leads the 2024 F1 standings despite his technical failure, accumulating 51 points.

Charles Leclerc follows with 47 points, and Sergio Perez with 46 points.

The next 2024 F1 race series will be held at the Suzuka Circuit, Japan, from April 5-7, 2024.

Below is a complete list of the top 10 drivers in the provisional F1 standings after the Australian race, as reported by the F1 website on March 25, 2024:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 51 points
2. Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari): 47 points
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull): 46 points
4. Carlos Sainz (Scuderia Ferrari): 40 points
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): 28 points
6. Lando Norris (McLaren): 27 points
7. George Russell (Mercedes AMG Petronas): 18 points
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin Aramco): 16 points
9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin Aramco): 9 points
10. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes AMG Petronas): 8 points