This was an Australian Grand Prix full of drama and shock retirements – throwing the field wide open for an enthralling contest. The Japanese driver has had a good start to 2024 but here were his first points of the season with an eighth-placed finish. ‘Yeah I’m very happy, first points for our new team, wasn’t easy but at the same time for sure we deserved it,’ he said. We’re combining the Haas drivers as their ninth and 10th-placed finishes make it the first time since 2022 that the team have secured a double points finish. Given he is in the best car on the grid and Verstappen was out of the race, so much more was expected of Perez than his fifth-placed finish.

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