Timeline of chaos: How the Australian Grand Prix unfolded

A wild race in Melbourne saw three red flags and multiple crashes before Max Verstappen evetually emerged the winner

Three red flags, eight DNFs and a bizarre finish to one of the most extraordinary races in Formula One history. Here is how the Australian Grand Prix unfolded.

The grid

Max Verstappen starts on pole ahead of the Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso starts fourth, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz sixth, and their teammates Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc are seventh and eighth. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez starts from the pitlane after engine troubles in qualifying.

Lap 1/58: Mercedes burst past Verstappen as Leclerc crashes out

George Russell takes the lead, taking Max Verstappen down the inside into turn 1, and then Lewis Hamilton does the same down into turn 4. But Charles Leclerc is taken out of the race by Lance Stroll! The safety car emerges. Verstappen complains over team radio that Hamilton “pushed him off the track” but there is no investigation into the incident.

Lap 7/58: Albon crashes out of the race — red flag 🚩

Alex Albon is going along nicely in sixth when he loses control and crashes out. Another safety car needed.

Russell pits as Hamilton stays out and leads, though the seven-time world champion is not happy. “This has put me at a massive disadvantage,” Hamilton tells his team. But he’s wrong as the red flag comes out due to gravel on the track, suspending the race and sending everyone to the garage where they can change their tyres, and it means Russell has slid back to first to seventh for no good reason. The race restarts from the grid and Hamilton maintains the lead.

P1-10: Hamilton, Verstappen, Alonso, Stroll, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Russell, Tsunoda, Norris, Piastri.

Lap 13/58: Verstappen overtakes Hamilton to lead

Verstappen makes the move around the outside ahead of turn 9 and cruises past Hamilton. Russell overtakes Pierre Gasly and is up to P4.

Lap 18/58: Russell’s engine blows 🔥

There’s suddenly a huge fire at the back of Russell’s Mercedes! It brings out the virtual safety car as Russell stops at the pit exit.

P1-10: Verstappen, Hamilton, Alonso, Gasly, Sainz, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Norris, Tsunoda, Perez.

Lap 49/58: Verstappen loses control

Verstappen runs off but manages to get back on the track and keeps his lead. “I keep front locking there!” he complains.

Lap 54/58: Magnussen loses tyre — red flag 🚩

Kevin Magnussen’s right rear tyre goes, and it’s left sitting dangerously on the track by turn 3 along with plenty of debris. The race is red flagged and the cars return to the pits while the mess is cleared. There is a 10-minute break before another standing start from the grid...

P1-10 Verstappen, Hamilton, Alonso, Sainz, Gasly, Stroll, Perez, Norris, Hulkenberg, Ocon.

Lap 57/58: Multiple cars crash out in chaotic restart — red flag 🚩

Sainz and Alonso collide sending Alonso off, the two Alpine teammates Gasly and Ocon crash causing a ripple effect behind, and there’s another red flag!

Confusion reigns. Will there be another restart? And in what order will the drivers line up after that hectic attempt?

After a tense wait, The FIA announces that the race will finish behind a safety car, and the cars will line-up in the order they took to the grid for lap 57, rather than the order they were in when the latest red flag waved.

Sainz is handed a five-second penalty for his part in the crash with Alonso.

Lap 58/58: Verstappen led to victory by safety car 🏁 🏆

Verstappen takes the chequered flag in convoy behind the safety car, with no overtaking allowed on the final lap. Hamilton rolls in second and Alonso somehow finishes third, despite being knocked off the track at the previous restart.

Max Verstappen celebrates victory in Melbourne (Getty Images)

Sainz’s five-second penalty means he finishes fourth but is demoted to 12th. “No it cannot be,” he fumes. “It’s unacceptable. They need to wait until the race is finished and then discuss with me. Ask them to please, please, please wait and then discuss with me.”

Haas, who sought to gain with Nico Hulkenberg in P4 as opposed to P7, appeal against the decision to revert the race order to what it was prior to the late start. The appeal is rejected.

Top 10: Verstappen, Hamilton, Alonso, Stroll, Perez, Norris, Hulkenberg, Piastri, Zhou, Tsunoda.

Reaction 🗣️

Max Verstappen: “With these red flags, I don’t know... second one I don’t really understand. Bit of a mess but we survived everything.”

Lewis Hamilton: “This track continues to put on a great show. Really unlucky for George, but otherwise to get those points is really amazing. Didn’t think I’d be second, really greatful.”

Fernando Alonso: “We had a rollercoaster of emotions today. The last half an hour was difficult to understand what was going on.”

Carlos Sainz: “I prefer not to talk right now, I’m too disappointed. It’s the most unfair penalty I’ve seen in my life. I prefer to talk to the stewards now and then come back to you.”

Pierre Gasly: “I don’t even want to comment at the end. We remember what happened before, just gutted to miss out on a strong result. We have a couple of weeks to look back on those last few laps.”

Esteban Ocon: “I’ve got a headache after a hard hit, but I will survive. The chaotic restart, it could have been anyone I collided with, a lot of cars going off, Pierre not giving me much space — he came and apologised. People push to get results and took risks, paid for some and didn’t pay for others.”

Lando Norris: “It’s not out of stupidity. It’s tricky. At the end, final laps, I feel like it’s going to crash at every corner - it’s difficult, with such slow warm-up laps you can’t get any tyre temperatures in.”

Oscar Piastri: “Chaos is how I would sum it up. Crazy race. Happy to be in the points at the end of it.”