Argentine driver Franco Colapinto (Alpine) finished 14th in the Australian Grand Prix, a race won by British driver George Russell (Mercedes). The podium was completed by Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), while Colapinto's teammate at Alpine, Frenchman Pierre Gasly, finished 10th and scored a point.
The race was a true nightmare for Colapinto from the start, as he had to show all his reflexes in the first meters to miraculously avoid New Zealander Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), whose car stalled. This maneuver dropped him from 14th to 17th place. A few minutes later, the Argentine had to serve a stop-and-go penalty for an infringement at the start.
Colapinto pitted to change tires only after 40 laps, when he was far from fighting for a points-paying position, and managed to hold on to finish 14th. The race was marked by retirements: Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and German Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) before the start, and Spanish Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Frenchman Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), and Finnish Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) due to car problems.
His teammate Colapinto, Gasly, had a standout performance, finishing 10th and scoring a point. British driver George Russell (Mercedes) took the victory after an interesting battle with Monegasque Charles Leclerc and British Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), whom he was finally able to pass on lap 29, exactly halfway through the race. In second place was his Mercedes teammate, Italian Kimi Antonelli, while Leclerc was third and Hamilton fourth.
Other drivers who scored points were British Lando Norris (McLaren), Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull), British Oliver Bearman (Haas) and Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), and Gasly. The next Formula 1 championship race will be next weekend with the Chinese GP.
