Charles Leclerc wins in Australia to maintain impressive start to new season

Charles Leclerc won the Australian Grand Prix to extend his lead in the Formula One championship.

Leclerc completed an impressive lights-to-flag victory with Sergio Perez runner-up, 20.5 seconds back, and George Russell third. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth.

World champion Max Verstappen failed to reach the chequered flag for the second time in three races after his Red Bull expired with 19 laps remaining.

Leclerc, a two-timer winner this season, is now 34 points clear of second-placed Russell in the standings. Hamilton is fifth, 43 points adrift.

Hamilton started fifth and moved up two positions to third at the start.

The seven-time world champion drew alongside Lando Norris within metres and then moved ahead of Perez after out-braking the Mexican heading into the first corner.

While Leclerc held off Verstappen to lead, there was drama for his Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz. Following a poor qualifying, Sainz started ninth, dropped to 14th and went in too hot to Turn 9, running across the grass and then sliding into the gravel.

With Sainz's Ferrari beached in the sand trap, the safety car was deployed before the race re-started on lap seven.

Three laps later, Perez, in his superior Red Bull machinery blasted past Hamilton to take third, with a Russell-led train forming behind the 37-year-old Mercedes driver.

Hamilton appeared to be struggling, but as the lap counter ticked down, he began to find confidence in his Mercedes. By lap 20, Hamilton had reeled Perez back in, and was crawling all over the Red Bull gearbox before Perez stopped for fresh rubber. Hamilton stopped two laps later and emerged ahead of Perez for a net third.

But Hamilton could not get heat into his new tyres, and Perez outgunned him on the run down to Turn 11