Ferrari got off to the flying start many had predicted, with Leclerc storming from fourth to the lead before even reaching Turn 1, while Hamilton pulled off a similarly impressive launch, climbing from seventh to third.

On Lap 11, with Leclerc, Russell and Hamilton separated by only a few tenths and locked in a tight fight, Isack Hadjar was forced to retire with technical problems, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.

Mercedes immediately opted for a double stack in the pits, while Ferrari kept both drivers out on track, a decision that raised more than a few eyebrows.

Speaking after the race, the Monegasque explained the reasoning behind that decision: “I don’t regret it. It was a wanted choice, a wanted and conscious choice. Looking from FP1 to now, there’s been at every session a car that was stopped, at least one car. We knew that there were very high chances that this was not going to be the only VSC of the race, and so we thought that it was better for us to maybe wait for another one.”

In the end, Ferrari had to settle for third and fourth place, with Leclerc and Hamilton finishing fifteen seconds behind race winner Russell.

For the Dutchman, the Australian Grand Prix at times felt more like a round of Mario Kart than a traditional Formula 1 race. Starting from P20, the Red Bull driver had to slice his way through the field as positions constantly changed on the straights, with cars overtaking and swapping places at a relentless pace.

Leclerc echoed Verstappen’s comparison, drawing his own reference to the famous video game when describing Mercedes’ pace. The Ferrari driver likened the German team’s straight-line speed to the effect of a Mario Kart mushroom boost over the radio.