Mercedes had a phenomenal start at the Australian Grand Prix, as George Russell took the lead and Lewis Hamilton pushed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen into third.
However, when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc went out the race at turn three, the safety car was deployed.
When the race resumed, the Mercedes duo maintained their lead prior to a crash from the Williams of Alex Albon on lap seven.
Russell took the chance to dive into the pits for an early tyre change, dropping back to seventh, but found himself in trouble when the red flag brought the session to a halt.
READ: Max Verstappen says he doesn’t care what the ‘Twitter world’ thinks amid controversy
With Hamilton in the lead when the race resumed, the Brit was keen to maintain a significant gap with the safety car, as got his tyres in the right window for the standing start.
Verstappen wasn’t happy with Hamilton’s tactics, accusing him over the radio over breaching a regulation that requires the lead driver to stay within 10 car lengths of the safety car.
Unfortunately for the Dutchman, his pleas for a penalty fell on deaf ears, as the regulation does not apply for restarts after a red flag.
READ: Max Verstappen makes worrying admission which will alarm fans in Australia
The situation didn’t make much difference to Verstappen’s performance though, as he took the lead in lap 12, maintaining it for the remainder of the race.
Even a late red flag restart on lap 57 couldn’t end Verstappen’s grip on the race, as he secured his second victory of the season, with Hamilton held back in second and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in third.
Verstappen’s victory solidifies his lead in the Drivers’ Standings, as he pulls away from his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who managed to grab fifth place after starting from the pit lane.