Max Verstappen got the result that he wanted in the Australian Grand Prix to keep his place atop the Formula 1 standings, but it wasn't without controversy.
The Red Bull driver got the very first Australian GP win of his career in what was, in his words, a “messy” affair both when it came to the decisions made by officials and with the drama that ensued on the track.
“Of course we are happy to win the race, but I think the race itself towards the end was a bit of a mess with all the calls,” Verstappen said, via ABC news. “It left a lot of drivers confused as to why we needed a second red flag. Today was quite messy.”
Max Verstappen was referring to a controversial decision during the 55th lap as he held a firm lead ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton who trailed him in second place. Instead of deploying a safety car, a red flag was issued which led to a restart that put his first-place finish in jeopardy.
Back where we want to be☝️
Today completes a really good weekend for us @redbullracing @HondaRacingGLB 💪 Very happy with that 🙌
Thank you Australia for your great support all weekend 👏 pic.twitter.com/X9j8Tom5zv
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) April 2, 2023
Despite the restart, Max was able to hold on and take the win, Red Bull's third through three races thus far. His teammate Sergio Perez wasn't able to complete the top-2 finish as they did in the previous two races as he started from P20 due to a crash during qualifying, but still managed a respectable fifth to take more points for the favorites.
It's still early in the Formula 1 season, but Red Bull has taken a firm grip through the first three races in trying to defend their title.
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