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sports Dialuna 11 aPRil 2022

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc wins Formula 1 Australian GP

(AP) — Riding high af- Alonso in Singapore in 2010
ter a decisive victory for to complete a racing “grand
Ferrari in the Australian slam” comprised of winning
Grand Prix on Sunday, pole position, leading wire-
Charles Leclerc’s belief in to-wire and also posting the
the team’s prospects are fastest time.
growing by the race.
The drivers’ championship
A grand prix billed as a show- leader, who pitted on Lap
down between Leclerc’s Fer- 22, posted a fastest lap of 1
rari and the Red Bulls of Max minute, 20.260 seconds with
Verstappen and Sergio Perez a final-lap flourish and was
finished with the Monaco clearly the quickest car all
driver as a one-sided winner. weekend, which he described
as a pleasing surprise.
The 24-year-old Leclerc ex-
tended his lead in the drivers’ “Honestly, what a car today.
championship to 34 points Of course, I did a good job
while claiming his second all weekend, but it was not
win of the season after victo- possible without the car,” he
ry in the season-opening race said.
in Bahrain.
His teammate, Carlos Sainz,
A crowd of 128,294 in Mel- finished on the podium in
bourne were treated to an Bahrain and Saudi Arabia but
emphatic triumph by Leclerc, endured several setbacks in a
who was able to hold off Ver- testing weekend.
stappen during the opening
laps and defended well mid- After an issue in qualifying have chances for the champi- frustrating and unacceptable. day … but we will take it. To
race under safety car condi- resulted in him starting from onship.” be standing on the podium is
tions to pull away for a deci- ninth, he dropped back fur- “I knew there was a problem special,” Russell said.
sive 20.524-second victory. ther in the field with a slow Verstappen, the world cham- and it was always going to be
start and then lost control on pion, never really challenged a question mark for finish- “We are never going to give
Engine failure forced Ver- the second lap, ending his Leclerc and withdrew with ing the race, but these kind up. We are going to keep on
stappen from the race on lap race. mechanical failure while of things, if you want to fight fighting. We have to keep this
38 at the Albert Park circuit, running second. for the title, cannot happen.” up while we are on the back
with Perez overcoming a slow Nevertheless, Leclerc is bull- foot, I’m sure we will get
start to take second ahead of ish on Ferrari’s prospects in Despite winning in Saudi The Mercedes team has also there after a few more races.”
the Mercedes duo of George the manufacturers’ champi- Arabia a fortnight ago, the dealt with issues to start the
Russell and Lewis Hamilton onship this year. Dutchman was clearly disap- season and is off the pace be- Alpine’s Esteban Ocon fin-
in third and fourth, respec- pointed by the performance hind both Ferrari and Red ished seventh, ahead of Alfa
tively. “Obviously, we are only in in Melbourne and said the Bull. Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and
the third race, so it is difficult Red Bull was “already miles Pierre Gasly in an AlphaTau-
McLaren drivers Lando Nor- to think about the champion- behind” Ferrari. Russell was able to claim his ri.
ris and Daniel Ricciardo fin- ship,” he said. first podium finish of the
ished fifth and sixth in an “I don’t even want to think year when Verstappen was Despite disqualification from
Australian GP that drew a “But to be honest, we have about the championship at forced from the race and can qualifying for a fuel irregu-
record attendance of 419,114 a very strong car, a very re- the moment,” he said. “I only hope the team is capable larity, Williams driver Alex
over three days. liable car too, and for now think it is more important of closing the gap later in the Albon finished 10th to secure
we have always been there. just to finish races, because year. the team’s first point of the
Leclerc became the first Fer- I hope it continues like this today was, in general, just season.
rari driver since Fernando and if it does, we probably a bad day again. It is pretty “We got a little bit lucky to-

Scheffler chases Masters win, with caddie who knows the way

(AP) — Scottie Scheffler few times, but never in said. “I have a lot of faith in him a call. Scheffler was hov-
has never been here be- the spotlight as the favor- At Augusta National, even him. He works really hard. ering around the mid-20s
fore. Never gone to any ite heading into the final more so. I respect him as a person. in the world rankings then.
course with the lead on round. When we’re out there I have He’s No. 1 in the world now
Sunday in a major cham- Luckily for him, someone a lot of faith in him. It’s re- and in position to win the
pionship. Been close a It’s daunting, anywhere. will be with Scheffler every ally nice just having someone Masters.
step of the way, someone I can trust so much out there
who has taken a few rides with me.” “It’s going to give him con-
around the pressure cooker fidence,” Watson said of
that is a final round with a Watson had to rally to win Scheffler having Scott with
Masters win at stake. He his first Masters in 2012, af- him on Sunday. “Knowing
hired Ted Scott, who caddied ter starting the final round in that he’s got a guy on the
in both of Bubba Watson’s fourth. In 2014, he held the bag that’s won around here,
Masters wins, on a test basis lead coming into the final that has notes ... he’s going
five months ago. It has paid round and held it together to have mental notes that he
huge and fast dividends, and on the way to another green knows (from what) he’s been
they’ll try for their fourth jacket. He and Scott were through with me. So, yeah,
win in the span of six starts peanut butter-and-jelly level it’s going to give him noth-
together on Sunday. of inseparable for 15 years, ing but confidence and joy
before deciding to part ways knowing that he has all the
“Teddy’s been a great addi- last season. Scheffler heard information.”
tion to the team,” Scheffler Scott was available and gave