Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Wins Australian Grand Prix Just Two Weeks After Surgery For Appendicitis

Guys, it happened: for the first time since Singapore last year, a driver who isn’t named Max Verstappen has won a Formula 1 Grand Prix, and that honor goes to Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

Of course, the last driver to defeat Red Bull at that race in Singapore? That was also Carlos Sainz.

However, his win in Australia was a little different — and perhaps meaningful — because just two weeks earlier Sainz missed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with appendicitis.

However, back in action in Australia, Sainz was one of the best drivers all weekend, and that was despite not being 100% all weekend.

Sainz started the race on the front row with Verstappen, but while Verstappen held the lead through the first lap and change, lap 3 saw a lead change.

Verstappen ran into some oversteer, which allowed Sainz to blast past him and into the lead.

However, making matters worse for Verstappen, smoke was shooting out of the back of his Red Bull soon after, and while at first it looked like an engine issue, it was soon apparent that his right rear brake was on fire.

It was so bad that part of it exploded as Verstappen pulled into the pits. The fire was put out, but it was too little, too late.  Verstappen’s right rear was toast in the most literal sense. That was a DNF for the reigning champ and his first in over forty races.

Red Bull mechanics tend to a fire coming from the right-rear brake of Max Verstappen's car. (Photo by SCOTT BARBOUR/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

His last DNF before this one? It was also in Melbourne.

Carlos Sainz Dominates in Australia

From there Sainz was practically on cruise control straight to the top of the podium.

The race finished under a virtual safety car following a heavy crash for Mercedes’ George Russell with Sainz followed by teammate Charles Leclerc for a Ferrari 1-2. Rounding out the podium was McLaren’s Lando Norris which was the team’s first Australian podium in a decade.

What a weekend, and the wildest part? Sainz doesn’t have a drive for next year.

Of course, he will, it’s just a matter of who will be the one to sign him.

And after this weekend's gutsy performance, just about every team on the grid that doesn’t have their lineup set for next season — and that’s only Ferrari and McLaren — should be considering Sainz if they aren’t already.

The Smooth Operator is without a doubt the hottest commodity on the driver market right now.