The Australian GP has claimed another victim! After Isack Hadjar, Jack Doohan, and Carlos Sainz Jr succumbed to the wet conditions in Melbourne, Fernando Alonso also had to bow out. In the thirty-fifth lap, the Spaniard seemingly veered too far off the track in turn seven. He immediately lost control and crashed hard into the wall, writing off his AMR25. The subsequent safety car gave the rest of the field a free pit stop.
Melbourne never disappoints! Partly due to the rainfall that has been plaguing the Albert Park Circuit all Sunday, four drivers have now failed to reach the finish line. After Hadjar, Doohan, and Sainz, Formula 1 veteran Alonso was the latest to prematurely end his race. Not the best start for the two-time world champion, who concludes his first Grand Prix of the season with a significant crash.
Fernando Alonso’s incident triggered a safety car in Melbourne, allowing the rest of the field the opportunity to fit new tires. The intermediates were replaced with slicks, as the asphalt had largely dried up. However, more rain is still in the forecast, so it remains to be seen whether the rain tires will be needed again later.
(Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin did not make it to the end of the Australian GP)